SWINDON TOWN may not have spent much time in Europe in recent years but the same cannot be said for one of their most dedicated fans.

County Ground season ticket holder Alan Wilson, from Covingham, has now visited 97 European football stadiums taking in 107 matches in the process.

With plans to visit Romania, the Czech Republic and three games at Euro 2016, he hopes to reach the magical 100 mark very soon.

Alan said: “My trips around Europe began in 2006 when I went to the World Cup in Germany.

“I saw six games in four venues in Munich, Stuttgart, Cologne, and Nuremberg and because it was such a fantastic experience I decided to set myself a target to visit the remaining eight grounds used for the tournament.

“This is what started me off on further to trips to Germany and subsequently to other grounds and countries in Europe.”

So far Alan’s travels have taken him to 21 European countries, but his impressive record of football attendance is not limited to the continent.

In 1984 a visit to Hartlepool to watch Swindon away saw him became a proud member of The 92 Club, a select group of dedicated fans who have visited every ground in the football league.

Since then he has been to see every new club that has entered the league, every new ground and even any temporary venue for a club that has had to move for a short period of time.

Of all the countries he has been to, Germany has a special place in Alan’s heart. As well as being home to the first European ground he visited he says the atmosphere is also unbeatable.

“My favourite old stadium is in Dortmund Germany, to me it’s the cathedral of all European grounds so much so I’ve been there 3 times and I’ve enjoyed every minute of it,” explained Alan.

“A very close second is the Olympic Stadium in Berlin and I’ve been there twice.

“Without doubt, the best watching experience is in the German Bundesliga, the Germans have magnificent stadiums which are full to capacity and generate a fantastic atmosphere.

“The fans are dressed in their team’s colours with scarves and flags, they’re passionate about their team and support them to the hilt.

“The fact you can take a beer to your seat simply tops it all off.”

In the past week, English clubs have been criticised for pricing fans out of the stadiums with sky-high ticket prices.

Alan has found that in Europe, fans can enjoy their football with much less expense: “The cheapest trip I’ve been on was to Hungary.

“I had a great weekend away in Budapest where I saw 3 games.

“My return flight and three night hotel cost 150 pounds, the tickets to the three games came to about £12 and with beer money and food the overall cost was about £200.”

With Alan’s target of 100 grounds now so close, he has set his sights on his next challenge.

He said: “My next ambition is to see a game in every UEFA member country of which there are 53 in total.”