IT began as a flippant comment on the Daily Echo website, but ten Saints fans are now preparing for an 80- mile trek to Wembley.
Lifelong fan Graham Harris, 31, threatened to walk to the stadium if Saints reached the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy final following the Southern Area quarter final win against Charlton at St Mary’s in November.
Now he is keeping to his word – and is being joined on the three-day trip by nine other Saints fans, five of whom he met through dailyecho.co.uk/saints.
Graham met forum friends Brett Shepherd, David Foot, Glynn Root and Tim Patston for the first time at West Quay on Monday, where the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy was on display ahead of the final on Sunday, March 28.
He will also be joined on the walk by Saints-supporting pals Gary Pompa, Ray Mead, Wilson Massey, Tony Dyke and Daimon Brown.
The group will walk from St Mary’s to Basingstoke two days before the final, then to Runnymede, Surrey before trekking the final 20 miles on the morning of the big game against Carlisle United in time for the 1.30pm kick off.
They are hoping to raise £5,000 for male cancer charity Everyman and have a fund raising night at the King Alfred Pub, St Mary’s on March 20.
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Graham, who now lives in Brighton, said: “We were downheartened at the state of our football club a year ago but this has been a phenomenon.
“Once we got to Wembley the lads really jumped on board this through the Echo forums.
We’re really looking forward to setting out from St Mary’s and having a beer at Wembley on the 28th.”
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