A Lewisham football fanatic bravely tries to go to a game every day in September to travel to south London and beyond in his quest.
Toby Palmer, who watches Lewisham Borough FC at home and away, said it had been without football for so long that when the ban was finally lifted he hit upon the idea of crossing as many football pitches as possible in a month.
The 31-year-old, who is originally from Wrexham in North Wales but currently lives in South East London, said he was “not sure why because it’s pretty stupid” but he always wanted to try a “month of football”.
So Toby decided to come up with a plan for September that would work out a football game for each day of the month that consisted mostly of teams from south London, although he had to expand the network slightly to fill every 30 days.
The schedule – @TobyPalmer
The games include day trips to AFC Wimbledon, Cray Wanderers, West Ham and even a derby between the South West Railway and the British Transport Police and his beloved local team Lewisham FC.
Toby had plans in April 2020 for a similar adventure or “football month” with a Dutch fan he knew from work, but this one was unfortunately canceled.
When the lockdown was finally lifted and the stadiums reopened to fans, Toby started his plan and said the fixtures were slowly filling up. Fortunately, his girlfriend “surprisingly” supported the company.
Six days later, Toby has already seen a number of different teams play – @TobyPalmer
The fun part, Toby said, is going to a new place almost every day, planning the route, exploring the area and local food, and of course, the football.
“I started watching Wrexham when I was a kid and during my time in North Wales I traveled the country and watched them.
“I loved the idea of supporting my local team and it has been difficult to see them every week since I moved to London eight years ago, so I followed my local London team outside of the Wrexham games that I could come to. ”
He said he followed Wingate and Finchley for about five years, and after moving to Lewisham he started religiously following Lewisham Borough FC.
But “I wouldn’t call myself a ‘groundhopper’,” he said.
“What I love about local soccer teams is the fans you’ve met and the closeness you can bring to the club, it almost feels like family and you see them every week.
Also, you can have a pint after the game with the players. Half of the Premier League players don’t even drink. ”
Toby added, “As I expected, I’ve met some great people along the way so far and while it was tiring at times, it was fun.”
The trip ends at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 30, but Toby said he’ll likely be back at a game on Saturday.
