Football fan travels 10,000 miles to watch game - only to discover it is postponed

Blackleaf

Hall of Fame Member
Oct 9, 2004
48,430
1,668
113
An Australian fan of English League One football club Southend United travelled all the way from Brisbane, Queensland to Bradford, West Yorkshire to watch them play - only to find the game against Bradford City had been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

"We were told as the coach pulled up outside the stadium," Mr Urry said.

"I got off the coach to have a couple of pictures taken outside the away turnstile, and then we were straight back on the road again."

Former Southend resident Mr Urry manages to keep up with some matches via the internet, but a trip to watch the Shrimpers play live was to be a highlight of a trip to Europe.

Australian Southend United fan travels to Bradford for postponed match


BBC News
14 December 2015


Andrew Urry posed for a photo outside the away section of Valley Parade

A football fan from Australia travelled to a match 10,000 miles away from his home only to find it was called off.

Southend United supporter Andrew Urry, who lives in Brisbane, travelled to Bradford on Saturday but the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

"We were told as the coach pulled up outside the stadium," Mr Urry said.

"I got off the coach to have a couple of pictures taken outside the away turnstile, and then we were straight back on the road again."

'Nostalgia trip'

Former Southend resident Mr Urry manages to keep up with some matches via the internet, but a trip to watch the Shrimpers play live was to be a highlight of a trip to Europe.

"I wanted a trip on a coach as a nostalgia trip, as I used to in the old days," he said.




On the coach, Mr Urry used social media to keep him updated with the chances of Saturday's match at Valley Parade going ahead, and said he had a "pretty good idea it was going to be called off".

However, it was not until they arrived at the stadium that the postponement was confirmed by a steward.

Mr Urry hopes to catch Southend's next three home matches, as well as the Boxing Day local derby at Colchester United.

The club also made an effort to soften the blow of his wasted journey on Saturday, asking on Twitter: "Would a signed Southend United ball help at all?"


The 2015/16 Southend United - "Shrimpers" - squad



Mr Urry travelled all the way from Brisbane to Bradford only to find the match had been postponed


Australian Southend United fan travels to Bradford for postponed match - BBC News