Football fan Ed Wood vows to break stadium-visit record
- Published
Mr Wood is raising money for Prostate Cancer UK and is hoping to finish his challenge early next year to regain his title
A football fan is taking four months off work in a bid to regain a record for attending a match at every English league ground in the shortest time.
Ed Wood, a Derby County fan, first set the Guinness World record in 1992 but was beaten a few years later.
Now he has set off to visit 93 grounds - all 92 in the English Premier and Football leagues, as well as English-based Scottish club Berwick Rangers.
The current record is 237 days, set by Ken Ferris in the 1994-95 season.
The loans manager, from Leeds, said he waited ten years to restart his quest because his girlfriend threatened "to dump" him if he did.
She has since relented and he has already visited 11 grounds this season.
Mr Wood, who did a "virtual" tour of the grounds last year to give him an idea of how it would work, hopes to finish in February but is not sure which ground will be his last.
He said: "Actually, getting tickets to the games isn't as easy as you might think - partly because fixtures can change.
Mr Wood was interviewed at half-time of the first match in his challenge at Oldham
"If Sky (television) wants to reschedule a game, then that can make a big difference.
"I was worried I wouldn't be able to get tickets for the Man U game - I thought it might be was sold out."
Mr Wood, who is raising money for a prostate cancer charity, said he took on the challenge for several reasons, but mainly because he has just turned 50 and recently broke his arm in a cycling accident so he "was ready for a bit of a break".
He has budgeted £10,000 for his challenge, but said so far he has only had two tickets for free.
English-based Scottish League Two side Berwick Rangers will be among the 93 grounds visited by Ed Wood
His most "manic" stretch is a series of eight games in nine days - and on a few weekends he is able to attend two games in one day.
Mr Wood said the challenge is "life-changing" and has quite a few advantages as he said he "loves travelling - and reconnecting with people who I haven't seen for ages".
He must arrive at each match ahead of kick-off and remain for the entire match.
The challenge started at Oldham in early August. He was treated to a free ticket and an interview with the team announcer at half-time.
A few of the 93 "extra" challenges set by his friends
Take a football rattle to a game and get told to be quiet
Meet the oldest fan at a game
Use a Vuvuzela - a horn that became the unofficial symbol of the 2010 World Cup
Attend a match dressed as Elvis
Go to a match with someone with a title
Wear a kilt to a match