“What’s it all about?”

Yes, “What´s it all about, Alfie?” goes through my head very often. *

My great friend Bjorn Heidenstrom is cycling from Oslo to South Africa (He is currently in Tanzania after 9 months of cycling through Europe/Africa). Please visit his site and say “hi”

I act as his volunteer PR and back-up. He is completing this massive project to raise awareness for the world’s 45 million refugees who have no home and little hope. His chosen partner is the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees who have given him tremendous support.

He is collecting football shirts along the way and they will be sewn together to form the world’s biggest ever shirt which will be on display during the World Cup in South Africa this summer. The Guinness Book of Records have been advised and we have already received massive support from FIFA, UEFA and hundreds of clubs from the VERY biggest (Barcelona, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool) to the most humble level 7 clubs in hamlets in deepest Latvia. We have also received support from celebrities such as Sir Elton John, Iron Maiden, Slade, The Liverpool Legends and many national football associations from Bhutan to Belgium, Ireland to Italy …….and everything/everybody in between!

We have had unbelievable media coverage and, as you can see, Bjorn has been on prime time TV, local TV and radio, given hundreds of interviews, filled page after page of newspapers and magazines and been featured or linked on thousands of web-sites.

I decided to assist more actively in Bjorn’s project and to increase the level of awareness for these refugees.

To support him and re-enforce his efforts, I will travel to England and visit all the 92 football league grounds in England and Wales. (“Doing the 92″ as it is called).

I start on 19th May in London and will finish in London on 18th August. So, some 3 months and almost 3,000 miles!

Life has been good to me and I feel it is time to give something back. I am not a huge fan of rattling charity tins and I am not a trained nurse/doctor so PR/marketing is probably where I can best contribute. I am NOT looking to raise funds. That is NOT what the United Nations want. They are much better at that than I could ever be – they simply want me to raise awareness. My only requirement is to cover my expenses.

Quick overview

1) I start in London and meet the Premier League, the Football League, the Football Association and the Football Conference. I collect their endorsements.

2) I then visit all the 92 league grounds in the UK (and many other semi-pro/amateur grounds along the way.) I will get an Ecademy shirt signed at every club. This will be sent to Bjorn when I have completed the 92+ clubs. I hope also that each club will give me a shirt that I can send to Björn.

3) As you can imagine, the 92 clubs are not conveniently spread in concentric circles but I will enjoy trips to Gillingham, Plymouth, Swansea, Carlisle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Ipswich and Southend and almost 3,000 miles between them! This is all uncharted land for me as I have been out of England for 9 years and my sleepy Spanish town will not be like the London postals or deepest Manchester, I am sure!

4) What would be great is if I can meet football supporters and those concerned about the refugee issue as I travel England and Wales. I look forward to seeing many of you

My friend Pete Clark has kindly provided and hosted this web-site and I will use FB and Twitter (@doingthe92) for regular updates. Please join me there.

For details of how YOU can get involved please continue here.

* Just the fact that I remember that song, should tell you I am no spring chicken! I first watched Gillingham (v Doncaster spring 1964). I was 7. Football has been the longest love affair of my life!

17 Responses to “About”