It’s Monday. It’s a new week and I have rested up well at my friend, Mike’s home over the weekend. I have been beaten at snooker, golf and tennis and enjoyed a 7am swim and an 8am breakfast. All good so far!

…..but it gets better! I spoke to Peter Oliver in Burnley’s Media department and he immediately invited me down to the legendary Turf Moor. As I arrived, Chris Gibson (photo) approached me with a cheery “You’ll never make it on that bike!” Chris introduced himself as the Catering Manager and told me of all the cycle rides he has been involved with at the club to raise money for the club and its community programme. Last year, for example, they cycled to all the 20 Premier League Clubs. As you can imagine we had lots in common. He kindly gave me a tour of the stadium and organised a shirt. THANKS.

He also introduced me to their “Clarets Learning Zone” and within minutes I was invited to give a talk to the children later in the day about my project.

So, I changed a few plans and returned to Turf Moor in the afternoon. I spoke at “Playing for Success” which is an out of school study support programme for 9-14 year olds. It focuses on raising standards in literacy, maths and ICT skills. It is based at the Turf Moor ground itself and Burnley FC must be praised for getting so heavily involved in the project. RESPECT.

I had a wonderful time with the children and they have promised to read this and to follow me every week. They were very keen to learn all about my journey, my favourite football club and even at their age they laughed when I said Gillingham. That’s not fair! They wanted to know why I had red arms (sunburn), whether I got tired or hungry (yes!) and whether I washed (no comment!) They also listened when I told them about refugees and how lucky we all are in England. They know where Spain is and have a better idea where Sweden is. They told me which grounds to go to next (Accrington Stanley and Blackburn) and hoped that I wore my helmet all the time. I promised I would start from tomorrow. Yes, it was a fun 30 minutes and I enjoyed being with you all, children. Listen to your nice teachers and you will learn a lot. Please write to me and let me know how you are all getting on. Bye Bye Steve The Cyclist.

The “Big One” ……… England v Germany.

Really not a lot I can say…..so I will say nothing. Your comments are welcome, of course!

I am usually tired, hungry, thirsty and my whole body aches. I have no idea where I am going to sleep most nights when I wake up every morning. Well, that is not exactly true. ON THIS JOURNEY, I am usually tired, hungry, thirsty and my whole body does ache.

On the other hand, in “real life” I am normally relaxed and free from pain. A cup of coffee and a pizza are normally within reach and I have a choice of homes in Spain and Sweden. I do not have the challenges of a refugee. Lucky me!

Nevertheless, I need to rest up for a few days and one of the highlights of the tour is meeting up with long-time friend and all round good guy, Mike from Burnley. We have not worked together for 10 years and yet we have always kept in touch. He has been to Spain and now I am back with him. An immaculate house, clean sheets, wifi, running hot water, a washing machine …… and……security. Bliss! So, again, I am away from the challenges that the refugees face but just for a few days I need this sanctuary. I also need somebody to talk to – somebody who is not umbilcially linked to the project and somebody who can help me come to terms with everything that is going on.

The day started well with a great breakfast and then Mike suggested a game of golf. Now, there is more chance of me supporting Man City than turning into a golfer but I enjoyed the game and in fact had my best score in 30 years or more which pleased me. To be honest, I also had my worst score in 30 years as Mike comprehensively outplayed me. Never mind, a pleasant day on a course with great views over my beloved Pennines.

Then it was chance to catch up on my blog, follow Bjørn’s progress and deal with a pile of emails. Sadly, I fell asleep at the desk almost as soon as I started and then it was off to see the USA versus Ghana. One of the questions Bjørn and I often get asked is about how much football we watch on our tours. The answer is VERY little and I would definitely watch much more in Spain. So, it was good to walk to Mike’s club to watch a whole game uninterrupted. A deserved win for Ghana and the end of the line for the USA. A boost for African pride and long journey home for the New World players and fans ….. including Bill Clinton.

As we walked home, Mike and I did what millions and millions of football fans do every week. We speculated and opined about the next match. Gary Lineker, Kevin Keegan and Motty eat your hearts out… Mike and Steve have the real deal on England and Germany. On paper, this and this should happen and one of the teams will go through to the next round …..but football is not played on paper and what matters is what happens on the pitch at 3pm UK on Sunday.

A late night chat with a great friend, a cup of coffee and an early night. The end to a “perfect day” Sadly, a day very very far removed from the life of the refugees we are trying to assist.

One of the beauts about this journey is that every day is different. Today (Day 37) was destined to be a very different day. I woke up WITHIN the Bolton Wanderers Reebok Stadium and the “room with a view” was very different from scrap yards in Birmingham or hostels with no windows in London.

One date written in stone before the journey even started was to the Ecademy Blackstar Boardroom in Manchester. So, a double-back on my route to central Manchester to meet an energised group of Ecademists. I was able to tell my story in a boardroom setting rather than at the side of a pitch or in a hostel dormitory and was delighted with the positive response. I was asked where I was staying that night and a member offered to drive me there. Much as my aching limbs would have loved to take Ann up on that kind offer, I knew my conscience and the integrity of the tour rested on me schlepping myself to the top of the mountain that is Burnley. The meeting was hosted and chaired by William Buist and Andy Preston who were kind enough to invite me to a lively three hour brainstorming session. It was a great day and for all those in business I would definitely recommend you check Ecademy. Enjoy.

It was also the opportunity to meet up with Ecademist and friend Aron Stevenson who presented me with a “Leasing Options” shirt. Thanks to Aron and remember we would love a shirt from YOUR company, club, youth association, school or wherever. Will you be represented in South Africa on July 11?

I was sorry to have to leave the Bellingham Hotel after a very happy short stay. Victoria (photo below on steps) gets my vote as the best hotel manager I have met on the tour to date. Friendly, professional and with a genuine interest in all her guests. Definitely recommend the Bellingham to anybody in the Wigan area. I can understand why BNI Achievers are still happy there after many years of holding their meetings there.

Then it was a short cycle ride to Bolton and the magnificent new Reebok Stadium. Superb, incredible hospitality by Bolton Wanderers Football Club. Some clubs really “get” what Bjørn and I do ….. and others don’t. Bolton Wanderers really did! I was firstly greeted by Mark Alderton their Communications Director and then interviewed by him and presented to Lofty the Lion the official club mascot. Talk inevitably turned to the Bolton legends and I chipped in with Frank Worthington who is famous for “that goal”. My friend Ann Brown brought him to Spain recently and you can see a video of Frank here. Frank is as much a character off the field as he was on it. Listen to why he did not sign for Liverpool!!

After that I enjoyed a full two hours tour of the impressive Reebok stadium with official guide Dave Vickers (below). Now, I think I know “something” about football and I think I know a few people who know “something” about particular clubs. Well, we pale into insignificance to Dave. His knowledge of all things Bolton Wanderers is encyclopedic. He gets the facts over in a fascinating and easily-understood manner and on top of that he is quite simply a thoroughly nice guy. What he does he does with PASSION. He quite clearly loves his role at the club and his enthusiasm for The Wanderers and the Beautiful Game transmits to all who hear him. It was a great afternoon and a true pleasure to meet Dave. Sadly, I had to leave but I leave with very fond memories of BWFC and Dave. Mark and Dave were true ambassadors for the club and I know that I will take more than a passing interest in their results from now onwards. A huge thanks to Jennie Kozlowski for organising the day especially as she was on holiday in Cyprus! A true pro who I was sorry to have missed.

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!