Team fulfils late player's Arctic football dream

Joe Hepworth, Angus Stewart and Mark Oliver were among those who made the trip to Norway in memory of their friend

Eighteen men from an amateur football club have fulfilled their late teammate's dream of playing football in a picturesque stadium in the Arctic Circle.

The Pink Pub Football Club in Bognor made the trip to the Henningsvaer stadium in Norway in memory of former player, James Palmer-Bullock, who died from a brain haemorrhage last year, aged 45.

Their epic journey took them to Brussels, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Stockholm, and finally Norway's Lofoten Islands.

In all, they travelled 2,000 miles (3,218km) to play five football matches in five different countries and across five days, ending with the Arctic match at 06:00 BST.

The football match was played in memory of James Palmer-Bullock, who died from a brain haemorrhage last year

The friends said they only arrived in Norway on Tuesday night due to transport delays.

They described their last match at Henningsvaer stadium as "incredibly emotional".

"We are proud we made it through the last five days. It's a unique experience," Joe Hepworth told BBC Breakfast.

Another player, Mark Oliver, described Mr Palmer-Bullock, who was a music manager, as an "unique individual" who had an "innate ability to make everyone feel important".

"He was a creative, a thinker outside the box, someone who brought encouragement and life," he said.

For more than a decade, Mr Palmer-Bullock organised Thursday-night football for his group of friends.

Teammate Angus Stewart said the trip "meant every thing" to the group as it had always been their friend's aspiration to play at the quaint football pitch.

The small, but picturesque pitch is located in the Lofoten Islands of Norway

"There were a lot of late nights, early mornings and long train trips," Mr Stewart added.

"The hardest part was doing all this without him, having him on the journey with us would've made it more special."

However, he said the expedition had "brought them together as a group".

The group are aiming to raise £50,000 to support two local charities, The Sussex Snowdrop Trust and Children on the Edge.

Mr Hepworth said Mr Palmer-Bullock had supported the two organisations throughout his life.

He said the team had a lot of support along the way, including from celebrity footballers.

"It's been incredible to feel the warmth and community from everyone which carried us through," he added.