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

The toughest day of my tour so far

At Stoke and Port Vale. Two VERY different stadiums and after a couple of tough days I could really have done without this challenge! If Rome is built on seven hills, then Stoke is built on six! I must say that I have driven around Stoke off and on for 30 years but have never thought of it as a hilly city (like Bradford or Sheffiled) Wrong! I really struggled today.

It started well enough with a little trip from an overnight stay in quaint Wem, to a bank in Whitchurch it was truly exciting to see a “Cheshire” sign. Cheshire? Yes, the north of England and the home to Crewe Alexander. I have been to the famous Gresty Road stadium many times over the years and have always enjoyed my visits. Today was the first time I had arrived by bike. As you can see, I gatecrashed a wedding but nobody seemed to mind.

So, ground 15. (Almost one sixth of the ninety two!)

Things went downhill from there (or more accurately uphill) as I struggled with poor directions and steep climbs to the Brittania Stadium to the east of Stoke. It was definitely worth the frustration and sweat. It was the first time I had seen the new stadium and I have to say that I was MOST impressed. The photos probably do not do it justice but like Shrewsbury, Stoke City have abandoned an inner city ground that was showing signs of neglect for a great spanking-new and state-of-the-art stadium on the outskirts. They also have a new hotel on site and my tired legs were begging me to book in after I had completed ground 16. Sadly there was no room at the inn and with no manger either I continued to Port Vale’s stadium which like so much in the Potteries is at the top of a mountain hill. To be fair, it was very late and I was tired, hungry, thirsty and aching. My lack of excitement may well have had as much to do with that as with the fact that it was not one of the more impressive grounds I had seen. Nevertheless, number 17 is chalked up.

So, all I then had to was find a bed. Huge mistake! I spent nearly two hours cycling on towards Macclesfield where I eventually crawled into the Egerton Arms near Congleton. The owner showed me the room and he commented that I could hardly climb the stairs. He was right. I think he took pity on me though as he gave me a great offer and I clambered into bed without having to worry about busting the budget. Thanks, Allen. I will return and check the gourmet menu when I have completed the 92.

Today it was Shrewsbury.

A lot of miles for a very lukewarm reception. An early start from an overpriced “hotel” got me to Telford United’s ground. It’s not one of the 92 and despite waiting 15 minutes in an open office, I found nobody to talk to. It’s a VERY impressive new stadium with a full-service hotel built into the main stand and an example for other clubs.

From there it was on to the new Shrewsbury ground. I have to say it is a superb facility. It’s an out of town stadium purpose built with full conferencing facilites, a huge car-park and with an adjacent 6-a-side centre. It is also at the top of several hills. My brief explanation of the project to a bored-looking receptionist got me nowhere. My enquiry as to whether there was somewhere to get a drink, was even less successful. I was advised there was a Starbucks 2 miles down the road! Oh well, after Wolves every ground was going to be something of an anti-climax. Shrewsbury Town most certainly was! (Interestingly they appointed a new manager today, Graham Turner from Hereford. I mused as to whether he got a warmer reception LOL)

Anyway, I realised I needed to put in another 2 or 3 hours to ensure I got to a bank on Saturday morning, so I turned the bike right round and ventured from whence I came! 10 hours cycling for less than 10 minutes at the stadium. NEXT!!!!(which incidentlly was to be Crewe Alexander, then Stoke City and Port Vale.

A GREAT DAY FOR THE PROJECT

It is invidious to single out one day or one club but Day 22 was the absolute highlight of the tour. A chance introduction to a friend of Mel Eves quickly led to an invitation to visit the Wolves (and Gillingham) legend at the Molyneux! What an opportunity!

First, I had a great BNI meeting in Moseley where Steve Wall presented a Villa shirt, John Harris from Blackstar Tax Specialists presented a WBA shirt and Nic Beales kindly donated 500 printed business cards to the project. Thanks to all.

I popped in to see Sean at OneCall again where he proudly presented a company T-shirt that I wore immediately as it was very welcome in the chill wind!

I also had a timed appointment at Walsall but their press officer was not there, had left no message nor apology and has not called since. I’ll look forward to enjoying their defeats next season! Anyway, I did a small shoot with their pitch announcer so added Walsall as club 12.

Then it was a fast shoot across the West Midlands to arrive at the Molyneux with 2 minutes to spare. One more hill would have scuppered that!

It was a true delight to meet Mel who was the absolute perfect host. He had arranged the local media to be present and sure enough they were. Soon it was “lights, camera, action” as the Wolverhampton Star interviewed us both. I expected that to be the end of it but NO. Mel was keen to feed and water me so we strolled into the City Centre where we enjoyed first a coffee and then on to a Chinese buffet for what was the best Chinese I have eaten in years. We talked for more than three hours on all things “football” and the excitement of talking to a man who is so interesting and yet humble helped me forget my aches ….and the rain!

Mel was a legend at Wolves and he chatted about the great years there when he was a regular for 9 seasons. Then it was on to Sheffield United before winding down at my beloved Gillingham. Sadly time beat us but before we went our own ways, he ensured that I had a tour of the Molyneux. This was just the perfect end to a perfect day. Needless to say, Wolves will now be one of the clubs I look out for from now on.

Thanks, Mel. As one of the worst weeks of my life came to an end, you helped me get back on track and reminded me that there is always sunshine after the rain.

Wolves are club 13 and my “favourite” so far!

Nice Jaffa Cakes

Graham Perry (centre) organised a great day

Day 21 cannot be as good as Day 20 …. or can it?

It starts off with a telephone call from a hero of mine from the Priestfield, Mel Eves. Mel was a prolific goalscorer and a soccer legend with his home-town Wolverhampton Wanderers before he went on to Sheffield United and then my beloved Gillingham. He is now a partner of Geoff Hinsley who I met yesterday in a sports management company. He’s keen to meet, has a shirt and will make calls for me to his other contacts in the game. TOP GUY.

Shortly afterwards an email confirms meetings at both Wolves and Walsall. Fantastic.

A few minutes later Graham Perry is on. He has a contact at Birmingham City so although I have already been I’m off there again. TOP GUY

Whilst this is happening my great friend Dave Selwood from Spain is on Skype to organise accommodation in Bognor and to say he has shirts to send from Spain. He runs the best bar on the coast (my words, he is too modest) and has got all his customers to sign a FCTorrevieja Dot Co Dot UK shirt over the past few weeks and now it has to go off to South Africa to join the hundreds of other ones there. TOP GUY

Life is sweetl. All I need now is for Ana Obregón to say she she wants to swap shirts with me BEFORE the game!! Ana is the object of all true hot-blooded Spaniards’ lust and is even my avatar on some soccer forums! As you can imagine my interest in her is purely pedagogic – she was a marine bioligist before she became Spain’s hottest property! Check her on YouTube – fantastic mimic of Posh Spice after Ana’s supposed affair with David Beckham. Hilarious. TOP, TOP GUY.

Yes, it got better! Olivia from Orbit Office Supplies and Graham Perry /Steve Wall (sic) from Thei2igroup got me in with “the right people” at both Birmingham and Villa and sent out a huge number of emails and made numerous calls on my behalf. So off we went to meet Debbie Hayles (nice Jaffa Cakes) and John Healy the community coach who presented a City shirt duly signed. This was arranged by Birmingham’s football in the community officer, Dean Holtham who was himself an ex-pro. Yes, a shirt from City and flags at Villa ……. as well as a tour of the ground. Cool or what? Pitch is looking good and they are hopeful of a BIG season after last season’s success. Especial thanks to the guys in the security office who looked after us.

Later in the day I got a call from Sean at One Call He said he has a shirt for me and he invited me down to his office for a presentation. Thanks, Sean. (Pictured below with West Brom pennant)

I was also interviewed on BBC Radio to end a perfect day. Paul Franks had me as a guest on his “drive-time” and that is a busy spot listened to by hundreds of thousands.