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The Bellingham Hotel, Wigan

Sometimes, just sometimes you know you are going to have a great stay in a hotel. Today is that day. I had finished with Wigan Athletic by 2pm and got to the Bellingham Hotel within 15 minutes. I had nothing confirmed until tomorrow’s BNI meeting which is even (joy of joys) being held at the same hotel. All good so far but it get’s better! The absolutely charming receptionist listened to what I am doing to support the bald, bad, bold Norwegian and watched Björn’s video from South Africa. She then (a) upgraded my basic room to a suite (!) and (b) miracled up a wifi connection for me. So HUGE thanks to TheBestOfWigan for organising the room in the first place and also to the Bellingham Hotel for their support. As I have no sponsor for today I am delighted to make them my sponsor of the day. It’s the least I can do!

So, I am now in my suite updating my blogs! All good stuff it is too. The director at Walsall heard about their fall from grace on my journey plan from my friend Graham Perry and he immediately offered to send a shirt. Thanks! Blackburn Rovers have invited me to Ewood Park and Bolton Wanderers sent me a detailed itinerary for tomorrow. Wow, they are really rolling out the red carpet. Before that, I had a super half-hour with Wigan Athletic’s Antony Clark. He did much more than pay lip-service to the project and promised to add us to the official Wigan website. Huge thanks!

Antony also gave me a potted history of the club and new stadium and as those of you who know me that is exactly the type of information I love. The club now share the DW Stadium (was JJB Stadium) with Wigan Warriors Rugby League and I passed their famous old ground (Central Park) on the way to the hotel. I had
been to Central Park many, many times and as well as watching some great duels between Wigan and Bradford Northern, I had even had the privilege of refereeing there! Although the DW Stadium is a superb state of the art venue, it was still a bit sad to see that Central Park is now a Tesco Supermarket! Progress?
So, after three days with Colin Weaver it is time to move on. I have had superb support from all the BestOf franchisees and thank them and their MD Andy Hurst and Chairman Nigel Botterill for the corporate support. Just having a local contact makes life so much easier.

I also caught up with Björn which is always a pleasure and as you can see from his blog the South Africa leg of his journey is proving extremely successful and he is gaining massive support for the refugees.

Steve Lomas from BNI Scorpio Birkenhead introduced me to Tranmere Rovers, Everton and Liverpool Football Clubs. Yes, in the course of just three hours I had been welcomed to all three of these great clubs. Thanks and respect to Steve …..and BNI, of course.

The day started badly. Steve knocked on my door about 5am to say that his wife had been really ill during the night and that he was going to have to miss BNI and take her to A&E. My thoughts are with you and I wish you a prompt and full recovery.

From there everything went fabulously. Steve had me at Tranmere Rovers at 9am and on the stroke of 9, I was greeted by both Tim Roberts (website and programme editor) but also their manager, Les Parry! Les is “pure football” and I could have happily spent all day with him. He took the Micheal out of my love affair with Gillingham and remembered some great tussles we have had. In true Scouse style he only seemed to remember the ones they won! It was a great thrill to speak to Les and I was disappointed that I could not accept the coffee he offered as I had to get to Anfield. A true character. Pure class!

Now, let’s be clear as a Man United fan since 1979 I would be less than honest if I said that Anfield and Goodison park were my favourite grounds. That said, I totally respect the passion that Liverpudlians have for their two clubs which are both institutions in the proud city. You can almost smell, taste, feel, touch the passion as well as hear and see it. I have total respect for all of that.

Liverpool’s Steve Newton offered me a museum and stadium tour which has to be a highlight of the journey. The impact that Liverpool FC has had on the city is evident from every item in their impressive museum. The passion that the Liverpool fans have for their club is equally evident from the same items. A super hour that I will not forget. Sadly, all good things have to come to an end but today it just got even better if that is possible.

Five minutes after leaving Anfield I was at the gates of Everton where Val Lovell welcomed me like a long-lost brother. She took me through the stadium and introduced me to Bob the groundsman and her other colleagues. Now, groundsmen are not known for love-affairs with people nearing their pitches never mind standing on. They have an almost sexual affection for their hallowed turf but Bob was different. A true Scouser with the wonderful Scouse humour who was happy to be photo-ed with me and for me to tread on his beloved grass. I have to say that both the pitch and the stadium are looking good. Will the team match up to these next season? Like all football fans the world over, Bob was sure that next season was going to be the “one” for his team. Good Luck to Everton, Tranmere and Liverpool Football Clubs next season. Your hospitality does Merseyside and the Wirral proud!

Dixie Dean

Today is NOT World Refugee Day but let us not forget the 45 million refugees who all still need our help on the other 364 days each year. Thanks.

I was delighted to get an email from Graham Perry today who is continuing to assist long after I passed through Birmingham. Thanks, Graham.

“The offical Aston Villa shirt donated by Lorna last week is on its way to The Shirt Basecamp in Tyne & Wear tomorrow (Monday 21st June)

I managed to take it along to St Pauls Club (where I am a member) business lunch last Wednesday where the head of the table allowed me 2 minutes to address all 40 + members and guests and tell them about your mission. I received a hearty round of applause and many good wishes which I pass on to you now. St Pauls Club is the oldest private members club in Birmingham and is now 151 years old.

After the lunch, I then took off to see two businessmen from Emeny Turley Partnership Ltd. They have been customers of mine for over 3 years and enjoy their football.
Bob is a Villa fan and Mark a Birmingham City fan – I managed to get 5 minutes with them and asked them to sign the shirt. Bob then said to me that he would “pay money” to see Mark sign the shirt which he did when he realised what was behind my reason for asking them. Great banter continued between them and the staff at which point I decided to slip out of the office and away before mayhem broke out! :o)”

This is JUST the kind of support we need for the project. People continuing to assist after Björn or I have passed through……and people having “fun” with the project.

Here is a photo to keep one of them happy!

DAY 33 – Part 2

Hi again,

As you know, I am now in Preston, Lancs. Today I visited Preston North End, collected a shirt and have now clocked up 25 grounds ….only 67 to go! Preston was a bit off route for this week but I wanted to squeeze in another important event. I am sure the extra miles will be worth it!

The main reason, I changed my route is that Nigel Botterill is in Preston tomorrow and he has kindly offered me a ticket to his presentation. Now, he is a man I would pay a LOT of money to see (even from my refugee budget!) so I was delighted to “snap his hand off” at that offer. So, a few extra miles but I know his inspiration will be worth it.

I also want to thank Colin from TheBestofPreston for all his help. I’ll be adding more later about Colin and the whole of The Best Of organisation but initially let me thank him for putting me in contact with Martin at Higher Walton. My brake cable had snapped and despite my best efforts I could not repair it. Martin saw that I was in a mess could have charged me a fortune and kept me waitings days but, no, he dropped everything and repaired it on the spot. RESECT and thanks to both Colin and Martin. Martin’s shop is on the main road through Higher Walton and well worth a visit!

Today was an important day. I had no appointments, only a 3 mile ride and a hotel provided by The Best Of Preston. What did this mean? It meant my first real day all to myself for 30+ days.

Equally it meant that I could reflect on the first month, take stock and plan for the next three. As importantly it meant that I could chill out, do my washing, update my blogs, twitter and Facebook. Bliss!

I also got the chance to catch up on some much-needed fund-raising as I have not been able to find the 20 GBP I need to survive very often recently. Several “sponsors” have also failed to pay the money they promised so things took a definite turn for the better today when Colchester United fan and all -round good guy Bob Burdett offered to sponsor a whole week. Thanks, Bob. It is appreciated more than you could know.

His business is WeFindAds.co.uk and I would ask you all to review what he does.
WeFindAds.co.uk, the free ads search engine, is delighted to be sponsoring Steve for a week of his four month epic journey.

WeFindAds.co.uk is a classifieds search engine finding the best classified & free ads and is an aggregator of the best of the classified advert websites in the UK.

One of the fastest growing classified sites in the UK, you can, in just a couple of minutes, have a free classified advert appearing on WeFindAds.co.uk Once posted, your advert will be fully optimised and benefit from visitors arriving via WeFindAds.co.uk and also the major Search Engines (Google, Yahoo! etc.). You will be able to edit/manage/renew/delete your classified advert after it has been posted.

Today was a tough day in the saddle – it started at Glossop North end and finished right next to Preston North End ……… with plenty of hills in between! Anybody who know Glossop will know that it is impossible to get to it without some steep climb and as I left for Manchester via Stalybridge I knew that the first hour was going to be as tough as it gets on my journey. I was refreshed after a good night’s sleep at the Glossop Surrey Street Ground and was pleased to make good time to Aron and Caroline Stevenson. I had spent four nights with them and it was a wrench to leave the home comforts and their fantastic hospitality for my bike and its hard saddle and small panniers. Thanks, guys. Superb hosts and I hope to re-pay the welcome when you come as my guests to Spain.

It was actually a fairly uneventful ride to Preston until the last 15 miles when tragedy struck. The rear brake cable snapped and despite my best efforts I had to gingerly cycle the last few miles. Number one priority for Monday!

When I arrived at the hotel, I was delighted to find these superb photos from BNI member Daniel Parker who I had met at the excellent BNI Bury chapter meeting on the Friday morning. As you can see Daniel is a true professional and I am really pleased with these photos and to be able to recommend him.

I would also like to recommend the Red Hall Hotel at Walmersley where Debi Fellone and the team at BestOfBury had organised a room. Bedroom to BNI in 20 meters. Perfect! I would also like to commened all at the Bury Chapter on a powerful and positive meeting. Thanks and congratulations!

It is always a pleasure when the local contact writes up the daily blog and I must thank John from TheBestOfRochdale for this excellent overview of my day spent in Rochdale.

DAY 30 18th June

THEBESTOFROCHDALE SUPPORTS ‘THE SHIRT 2010’

After meeting Steve at thebestofbury exhibition the previous evening, I was looking forward to welcoming him to Rochdale and giving him all the support thebestofrochdale could offer in his challenge to raise awareness of the issues facing the world’s millions of refugees.

The sun was shining down on Steve as he arrived in Rochdale. We met at the Bridge Inn, Norden for a tasty lunch and a refreshing drink and Steve shared some of his more notable experiences on his journey so far. After a quick ‘pit-stop’ it was off down to Spotland, where Stuart Ashworth had very kindly agreed to present Steve with a replica shirt. With Stuart otherwise engaged, it was down to Jan Marsh to do the honours and rather reluctantly pose for the obligatory photo. UP THE DALE!

A short cycle trip and we were in Lower Falinge to meet some of the dedicated workers and volunteers at NESTAC – The New Step for African Community charity. Steve was pleased to be given the opportunity to see for himself an organisation that is working tirelessly to improve the lives of refugees who have chosen to settle in Rochdale. A quick walk next door and we were greeted by Jackie Robinson who introduced Steve and I to the women at the Lower Falinge Arts and Crafts Group. It was great to see women from different cultures coming together like that and hopefully, Steve will be spurred on by their genuine support for his efforts.

Before Steve had to leave for Oldham, I had one final stop planned – a visit to Rochdale’s magnificent town hall and a meeting with the Mayor Zulfiqar Ali. Steve had met many people on his trip but this was a first, and it clearly meant a lot to him. Thank you to the Mayor for taking time out of his busy schedule to meet Steve.

Steve’s visit to Rochdale was brief but I’m sure it will form a memorable part of his journey. Thebestofrochdale wishes Steve well during the remainder of ‘The Shirt 2010’ challenge and I’m sure we’ll be in touch.

BEST WISHES

John

From Rochdale, it was a fast ride down to Oldham Athletic and then on to Glossop. Oldham’s ground did not seem to have changed much since I was last there and it’s clear they have much to do on and off the pitch to get back to the top league. I wish them well – I have always enjoyed visiting them. Ground number 24 and I reminded myself that after I had “collected” Rochdale as ground 23, I was one quarter of my way through the journey. I also reflected that the next ten days would take me to one third of the way through my trip as there another dozen grounds in the north west.

From Oldham it was a tough climb to Glossop. Whilst Stalybridge Celtic’s Bower Fold is one of the UK’s most pictoresque grounds, it is also on a extremely steep hill. I struggled past it, remembering all the exciting games I had seen there. Happy Days.

Finally, I arrived in Glossop. Why did I make that 40 mile trek to a non-92 ground? Quite simply because Björn was superbly treated when he was there last August and I have to say I was also regally treated. I simply wanted to pass on my/Bjørn’s appreciation, to visit the famous Friendship Pub and to pay my respects to Mike, the landlord, who is in hospital after an horrendous accident. I could not see Mike as he is still in hospital with a fractured pelvis but I send my best and hope to see you running around again very soon. Thanks to all who made me so welcome at Glossop and especially to Jonathan and Barry who sorted out a bed for me.

I watched the England versus Algeria game which was a sad end to an otherwise perfect day!

The Best of Bury Exhibition

Wow! What a fantastic exhibition this was and how pleased I was to be able to contribute and attend.

After 3 days of solid canvassing in Prestwich and Whitefield, it was exciting to arrive at the venue. Everything was well organised and presented and it was clear that all the preparation had paid dividends. An excellent event where the BestOfBury genuinely showcased the best of Bury. Congratulations to all at the BestOfBury on a superb evening.

This was definitely a real highlight of the trip and not least because the organiser’s sister-in-law attended. I had not seen Sisina for 30 years and it was an absolute pleasure to see her again and meet her children. She was just as gorgeous and bubbly as she had been all those years ago and I really enjoyed catching up on what had happened to her since 1979! Let’s make sure it is not so long next time, Sisina.

During the day, I had met the professionals from Cookson Cycles who gave me some good advice on all things to do with bikes. Nice guys and happy to share their knowledge. Thanks.

Thanks to Mick at the Royal Oak, Ashton-under-Lyne for inviting me to the pub and presenting me with this shirt. It is much appreciated. Thanks also to Jock for organising the event ……. all the way from Spain! It just shows the power of the project. The Royal Oak is a super pub next to Ashton United’s ground on the Lees Road and there was a good cross-section of football fans from all sorts of clubs. Ashton Utd, Liverpool, Everton, Man Utd, Man City, Gillingham supporters came together to hear about the Shirt and to watch the entertaining South Africa versus Uruguay match. As a Spain fan, I had to keep very quiet about the disappointing result versus Switzerland. My 3-0 prediction looked very off the mark!

Steve Hall is in Bury!

…and today he has been out and about promoting this Thursday’s great event.

Thanks to Debi for arranging with Big H to interview me on Rossendale Radio. It was a pleasure to be on air with a professional presenter and fellow football fanatic.
We talked about the project, the refugees and, of course, the Best of Bury Exhibition.

I will be at the event on Thursday night from FIVE PM and I hope to see you there.

I had an exciting call today from Steve Lomax at BNI on The Wirral. He has secured timed appointments with both Tranmere Rovers and Liverpool FC on the 22nd June. Fantastic news and I look forward to adding these clubs to the list who are supporting Bjorn’s project.

We also got GREAT news today from the project’s friend Graham Perry who says, “Steve, we have an original Aston Villa shirt donated by the Player Liason Officer – Lorna Mclelland who works at the Villa training ground. Please give her a mention – she’s a great friend of Babs.” So thanks to Babs, Lorna and,of course, Graham.

The (very) Best of Bury

Steve Hall is in Bury!

Yes, after 15 years out of the town I am back courtesy of invitations from The Best of Bury and Bury FC. I am here to promote a very special Best of Bury Exhibition this Thursday which I am sure will prove to be very successful for exhibitors and visitors alike.

There is no cost for the general public to attend and there is even a great free raffle with some stunning prizes kindly donated by FC Bury. (The organisers have just told me that they have potentially one stand available. Please contact 01706 281320 if you MIGHT be interested)

Thanks to Debi Fellone and all her team at The Best Of Bury for this kind write-up.

I will be at the event on Thursday night from FIVE PM and I hope to see you there.

(Bury shirt, Bury 125 year plaque and (bottom) Peter Young with Laura Sherratt from Bury FC and Debi Fellone from TheBestOfBury