80 Hours Later

A further 80 hours on from our return to Hereford, and we have had a lot of time to reflect on just what we achieved. More pictures will be published in the coming weeks, but it is our wish to give you an insight into our trip, and share with you some of our memories. There were times when we were buzzing, and there were times we were so tired we had no idea where we were anymore. But through it all the memories of Stanno kept us going, and helped us to achieve our goal.

Our first stop was Swansea, where we actually arrived in plenty of time. As with many of our stops, it was still dark, so we found the most appropriate location for a photo and then moved on quickly.

Arguably the highlight of the trip was St James' Park, Exeter. Outside Newcastle's namesake, Adam gave Grecian and Katie stick about the 'real' St James Park, but admits now that it was the Devon Club where the magic truly happened. Greeted by journalists and fans was a special experiance, but to meet Roger Stansfield, Adam's Father, and also Marie, his wife was such a humbling and emotional moment, it really touched our hearts, and inspired us in the difficult moments that were to follow.

We were blessed at some grounds, including 4 Premier League, to be granted pitchside access. Several had to be blagged, and one or two small lies told, but it was well worth it for the photo oppourtunity. Here we are at rain swept Anfield, shortly before our mad dash south.

Arriving at Hereford, within the 80 hours was a fantastic feeling. The plaudits and support we received afterwards from you all was astonishing. Its not us that accomplished anything, its you. Again, your backing and faith in us truly was the energy that got us home.

A video diary was kept, and is available at www.herefordunited.co.uk. It is premium content, but a free trial opttion is available (just remember to cancel withing the 14 days or you will be charged.

Further updates, and a more indepth summary are still to come, and we will meet with all you when we hold our auctions over the summer.

With much love

The Around the Grounds Team

The Final Countdown - 1

Stadium: Edgar Street
Club: Hereford United
Arrival: 09.30
Departure: N/A

The Final Countdown - 2

Stadium: Whaddon Road
Club: Cheltenham Town
Arrival: 08.13
Departure: 08.18

Journeys End

With just Cheltenham to go, our time of arrival at Edgar Street will be 09.30 outside Radford's bar. Thanks again to everyone who has supported us on our journey, and anyone wishing to celebrate our successful trip, feel free to make yourself present!

This mission has never been about us, but the idea of celebrating our success as a tribute to Adam Stansfield's tremendous influence on all our lives is something we all feel is well worth commemorating.

Thanks to one and all.

Adam, Katie, Chris, Dave and Steve.
The Around The Grounds Team.

The Final Countdown - 3

Stadium: The County Ground
Club: Swindon Town
Arrival: 07.23
Departure: 07.30

Our thanks to the member of staff who took a group photo for us.

The Final Countdown - 4

Stadium: Kassam Stadium
Club: Oxford United
Arrival: 06.25
Departure: 06.36

Many thanks to the staff member at Oxford Utd who allowed us pitchside, and to Exeweb's 'Poundstretcher' aka Neil for his generous donation.

The Final Countdown - 5

Stadium: The Ricoh Arena
Club: Coventry City
Arrival: 04.50
Departure: 04.53

The Final Countdown - 6

Stadium: St. Andrews
Club: Birmingham City
Arrival: 04.12
Departure: 04.20

The Final Countdown - 7

Stadium: Villa Park
Club: Aston Villa
Arrival: 04.00
Departure: 04.03

The Final Countdown - 8

Stadium: The Hawthorns
Club: West Bromwich Albion
Arrival: 03.37
Departure: 03.47

The Final Countdown - 9

Stadium: Bescot Stadium
Club: Walsall
Arrival: 03.21
Departure: 03.23

The Final Countdown - 10

Stadium: Molineux
Club: Wolverhampton Warriors
Arrival: 02.55
Depature: 03.00

Winding down...

As the final night draws in our journeys end is in sight. After the excitement and success on Merseyside it has been slightly anti-climactic to spend most of the final hours visiting near deserted stadiums. However, finishing our task is now the priority us most of us are more than feeling the pace!

Since leaving Tranmere we have dropped in at Wigan, Bolton, Blackburn, Accrington, Burnley, Rochdale, Bury, Oldham, Man City, Man Utd, Stockport, Macclesfield, Crewe, Port Vale, Stoke and Shrewsbury.

As we count down our last 10 locations with the realisation that the journeys end is very much in sight, we will mark each arrival individually by time and location.

Bring it on!!

Progress update

Just to let you know the roads are quiet and we are making haste. Should you be hoping to visit us anywhere than email us your number and we will call you with up to the minute updates.

Updated schedule

Here is an updated estimated schedule according to where we are at present:

68 grounds completed.
24 remain. Here are the ETAs:

Blackburn - 19.30
Accrington - 20.00
Burnley - 20.15
Rochdale - 21.00
Bury - 21.30
Oldham - 22.00
Man City - 22.30
Man Utd - 22.50
Stockport - 23.15
Macclesfield - 00.00
Crewe - 00.45
Port Vale - 01.15
Stoke - 01.30
Shrewsbury - 02.30
Wolves - 03.30
Walsall - 04.00
WBA - 04.15
Aston Villa - 04.45
Birmingham - 05.00
Coventry - 06.00
Oxford - 07.30
Swindon - 08.30
Cheltenham - 09.30
Hereford - 10.30

As always, get in contact if you want to meet us for our final flurry, and thanks for the messages of support!!

The quality of Mersey is not strain'd...

Having reversed our Merseyside agenda, we arrived at Everton's Goodison Park, where Adam was briefly reunited with his loving wife Amy. She very generously provided sandwiches, drinks and snacks for our final assault on the North West and Midlands. We were invited pitchside by a friendly member of the Everton security staff, which provided us with another priceless photo opportunity. Amazingly, 15 minutes later we were posing for more pictures on the world famous Kop at neighbouring Anfield.

We would like to express our gratitude to both Merseyside clubs for their interest in, and recognition of what we're trying to achieve.
Unfortunately we were unable to complete a merseyside hattrick, arriving at Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park just after closing time.

Change of route

Due to prior commitments we have been forced into a change of route. Having been invited into the stadiums at Blackpool and Preston, we are falling further behind schedule. Therefore we have decided to reverse the running order of the merseyside clubs. Our combined thanks to the staff at Bloomfield Road and Deepdale for yet more fantastic photo opportunities.

Thanks also to everyone who has contacted us today. Your continued support for the cause has kept our chins up and out look positive! Cheers!

It's (not so) grim up north!

The four North East clubs (Middlesbrough, Hartlepool, Sunderland, Newcastle) were chalked off at lightning speed, with little interaction other than a kind member of the Sunderland staff taking a group photograph for us. With this, we said goodbye to the North East, and headed cross country to Cumbria.

Carlisle Utd, our 60th ground visited, were the first club today to offer us a pitchside photo opportunity, which we gratefully accepted. Having reached the northern most point of our trek, it was time to travel south once more.

The first club on our southern lag was Morecambe. Of all the clubs we have visited thus far, it was amongst the best welcomes we have received. We were met at the entrance by Grecian and Katie's friend Matt, himself a Shrimps fan. He and the receptionist, Jody, guided us to the playing area via the home dressing room, before giving us a short guided tour of the stadium. As if this wasn't enough, we were also offered hot drinks in the lounge area, before being sent on our way with bacon rolls (sorry, Dave!) and other assorted goodies.

Our grateful thanks to Matt, Jody, and everyone at Morecambe for their time and generosity.

Onward and upward

At Stadium MK we were met by Carol, a Hereford United supporting member of the MK Dons staff. She invited us in for tea and also made a generous donation towards the fund. After appearing with us in a photograph. Carol presented us with an autographed ball, for our memorabilia auction. A big thank you to Carol and all at MK Dons for their support.

A fleeting visit to Northampton followed, then we moved on to The Walkers Stadium, Leicester. There we rendezvoused with members of the East Midlands Grecians, who kindly supplied us with tea and biscuits as well as moral support for our wearying group. We must say thank you to the guys for a much needed boost!

In a bid to make up time, we spent the majority of the small hours undertaking a whistle stop tour of the East Midlands an Yorkshire. The clubs we visited at this time were: Burton Albion, Derby County (thanks to the security man for allowing us access), Notts County, Nottm Forest (Stanno's favourite club), Lincoln City, Hull City (which necessitated a 3 man sprint to access the stadium!), Scunthorpe, Doncaster, Chesterfield, Sheffield Utd, Sheffield Weds, Rotherham, Barnsley, Huddersfield, Bradford and Leeds Utd.

Despite our best efforts, we are still running approx. 5 hours behind schedule. If you are wanting to meet us today, feel free to get in touch for accurate as possible arrival times. Any messages of support would be greatly appreciated!

The free kicks foundation

The highlight of our arrival at Peterborough was our link up with Steve Thorpe of The Free Kicks Foundation. Steve was accompanied by his son Ashley, who assisted with photographs, and Joe Lewis, Peterborough and England U21 international goalkeeper.

Joe was present in his role as ambassador for the foundation, set up by Steve. The charities aim is to give sick, bereaved and disadvantaged children a day to remember at their favourite football club. Joe was happy to consent to a short interview with Adam about his career so far, including memories of playing against Stanno. Like others before him, he remarked on Stanno's work ethic and model professionalism.

Time was, as ever, pressing, so we thanked the guys for their support and headed off to Stadium MK.

Eastern promise

On leaving Dagenham, we proceeded to Southend via a brief stop-off at Gillingham. Upon arrival at Roots Hall, we were told in no uncertain terms that we had to leave immediately due to the clubs weekly car boot sale. Whilst attempting to take a photograph at the gate, two elderly stewards hastened our exit largely through the medium of mime. We were most disappointed that we were unable to have a look round the stadium, or at least purchase some knock off DVDs!

In stark contrast, our next two visits reestablished the positive attitudes we had previously experienced. At Colchester, we were again welcomed pitch side, and were joined for a photo call by U's mascot Eddie the Eagle (not THAT one!). A consummate professional, 'Eddie' refused to break character, even though there were no children present, maintaining an eerie silence throughout! Slightly unnerved, we took our leave.

Onward to East Anglia and Ipswich Town's Portman Road complex, where we were shown around by Tractor Boys' head of marketing, Camilla Haycock. Special thanks to Camilla and all at Ipswich Town, for another unforgettable experience.

With time running short, we decided to keep our next trip trip to Norwich as brief as possible. After another hastily-arranged photograph, we journeyed on to London Road, Peterborough. On arrival we received a phonecall from Carrow Road asking what time we'd be arriving as they had memorabilia for us to collect in reception. D'oh!!

London calling pt. 2

At Millwall a friendly passer-by kindly took a photograph for us and made a donation towards the cause. A brief foray to The Valley, home of Charlton Athletic, was followed by yet another trip highlight. Staff at West Ham United's Upton Park generously permitted us pitch side access for another fantastic photo opportunity.

Leyton Orient were up next. Sadly we arrived too early to go pitchside. However a kind lady receptionist obliged us with another group photo. Dagenham and Redbridge were the next port of call, and although there had been some confusion over our exact time of arrival, we were welcomed with great hospitality by staff and their very own mascot - Digger the Dog! Once again we were delighted to be permitted on-field access for some pictures, and gratefully received an autographed ball, donated by the club.

Unfortunately, due to all these fantastic experiences, we are now running about 4 hours late, and have some catching up to do!

London calling

The London leg of our trek saw us visit some of the most impressive stadia so far. After a quick photograph at Barnet, we got our first taste of the Premier League, at the home venues of fierce local rivals, Arsenal and Tottenham. Continuing on into west London, we added QPR and Brentford to our list, before arriving at current Premiership champions Chelsea, and neighbours Fulham.

Better was to follow. At Selhurst Park, home of Crystal Palace, we were greeted in the small hours by recent signing Dean Moxey, Stanno's friend and former teammate. Dean not only provided a signed Palace shirt, but also conducted a brief interview with Adam, recalling fond memories of his one-time roommate. We greatly appreciate the time and effort Dean has spent in helping us with our cause.

Tea and Traffic

On the approach to London, we stopped off for a quick photo oppertunity at Brighton and Hove Albion, before heading off for tea and biscuits at Aldershot, kindly provided by Paul, another generous Exeter exile!

The early hours were hindered by road closures and other traffic problems en route to north London, resulting in serious time delays to our journey. We are currently running approx. 2 hours 45 mins late.

With Reading, Wycombe, Watford and Stevenage successfully negotiated, we set our sites on the capital!

In loving memory

After brief visits to Bournemouth and Southampton, where we were joined by more Exeter supporting friends, Matt and Norm respectivly we embarked on Fratton Park, Portsmouth. Whilst here, an emotional moment was taken to reflect on another one of Adam (Wright's) heroes.

Jessie Ford, Adams Great Grandma passed this January. A lifelong fan and regular season ticket holder at Fratton, Adam took a moment to lay a floral tribute to this great woman. A moments reflection and its back on the road and Brighton bound. A special thanks to the security staff at pompey for all their help with this.

Still approx 2 hours behind, again for detailed arrival times get in touch.

And nan, see you in the great stadium in the sky!

Honouring the memory

A moving visit to Stanno's first professional club, Yeovil Town. After photographs on the Huish Park pitch, courtesy of YTFC Press Officer Adrian (a Man United fan!), the group held a minute silence at the clubs memorial garden. We were joined at the stadium by two more Exeter fans, Rod and Rachel, before the original group departed for Bournemouth.

Due to the tributes paid at the south west clubs, we are now running approx. two hours behind schedule. For more information regarding arrival times, please contact us via email - aroundthegroundsin80hours@hotmail.co.uk

Better and better...

Continuing around the South West, next stop Plainmoor, home of Torquay Utd. On arrival we were delighted to meet up with HUFC playoff winners Alex Jeannin and Craig Stanley. The pair were glad to reminisce about their friend and former teammate. Both had lobbied colleagues and pals for donations, raising a significant financial contribution as well as memorabilia for auction at a later date.

Thanks to the kindness of Commercial Manager Dean Edwards and his staff, we were permitted access to the stadium, where Alex and Craig joined us in a group photo.

While the rest of the group enjoyed a cup of tea, Adam spent a few minutes talking with both players about their time spent at Hereford.

The whole group would like to thank Alex, Craig, Dean and all his staff at Torquay Utd for this wonderful experience.

Humbling experience

After a brief detour to Elmore (Stanno's first senior club), we arrived at Exeter Citys St. James' Park. And what a turn out! We were greeted by a mixture of well wisher's, local press, television/radio, and, most significantly, Stanno's father Roger and wife Marie.

The media attention itself was at first a little unnerving. However, everyone was very friendly and put us at ease. After photographs and radio interviews with Adam and Grecian, we spent some time talking with Roger and Marie. This experience in itself was humbling and very emotional. Considering all they've been through, the positive energy they emanate is incredibly inspiring and uplifting. We would like to thank everyone at SJP for their hospitality and great kindness.

Due to this fantastic reception, we only had time for a brief stop at Plymouth, where we were joined by Katie and Grecian's friend Steve, who kindly took a photo of the whole group outside Home Park.

Brizzle

Delays in Bristol but both clubs sorted. On route to Elmore to pay respects but maybe slightly delayed. See you all at Exeter around 11

D day and we are off

At 4am this morning our team finally headed off. Calling at Swansea and Cardiff we are now on route back to England and will be crossing the Severn bridge shortly, aiming to be at Bristol rovers at 8am. See you there hopefully and stay tuned!

Edgar supporting the trek

Adam and Dave, 2 crew members from the trip today visited Edgar Street, and were presented with a signed shirt, and interviewed for the official website

Also today, we collected the car, and are all set four our departure at 4am this morning. Huge thanks to Andy Black at Stirling Motors (a good place to buy your next car...;) for all his help with this. All who can send us off or appear on route are more than welcome. As always, please email pledges, queries or general well wishing to aroundthegroundsin80hours@hotmail.co.uk which will be checked regularly. Also, stay tuned to the blog as we will update regularly.

Finally, listen out for us on BBC Hereford and Worcester this coming Wednesday morning at 7am for our interview with them