A Sunderland football fan has revealed he will travel to Wembley Stadium in London via Spain to watch his team compete in the play off finals, with the flight being cheaper than a train to the capital. James Jelly, 33, will spend a night in Menorca awaiting his journey to watch his team battle Wycombe Wonderers in the League One play off final on Saturday, May 21.
Travelling from Newcastle International Airport, he will set off and return for just £12.50, while the return ticket to Stansted cost just £10.50. The Black Cats fan, from Sunderland, told the BBC : "I do things without thinking and when we were sitting in the cricket club discussing travel options for Wembley, I thought there must be another option than spending six hours on a coach or spending hundreds on a train to London.
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"It was £161 one way for a direct flight to Gatwick and I just kept looking until I saw the £23 flights to Menorca. Initially I thought I could sleep in Mahon airport and then I read it closed at 00:30, so I've booked into a hostel. It looks basic but it includes breakfast."
Purchasing manager James will fly to Menorca at 4pm on Thursday and then land in London at 6pm the next day for the total price of £23. He will also pay £28 for his hostel room in Spain, but will not have to pay for transfer as he is getting a lift from another fan. He's also managed to get a ride home after the match.
James' ticket to the game was £55, meaning the whole weekend has cost him just over £100. He also won't have to pay for accommodation in London as he said he will be staying with his grandparents in Surrey.
He told the BBC: "I don't feel like I'll be missing out on the banter of heading to London with other fans, as I really like travelling and this is an adventure, just me and my drawstring bag, packed with my essentials.
"I'm more nervous than excited about the Wembley part of the trip - we've been to Wembley a few times now and the result hasn't gone our way, so although I am excited, I'm mostly nervous about the play-off final."
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