Fan’s 5,000-mile Stanley trip
ADIE-HARD Accrington Stanley fan was in ‘heaven’ after travelling 5,440 miles to watch his beloved team for the first time.
Jung Min Yoo, from South Korea, is the club’s ‘most distant’ season ticket holder and had never watched a match until the Reds’ home game against Peterborough United.
And despite a 4-0 defeat, the Seoul student said he loved every minute.
Jung, 25, made the twohour bus journey on Saturday from Salford Quays to the Wham Stadium and received a guided tour of the ground and a warm welcome from club chairman Andy Holt, manager John Coleman and managing director David Burgess.
He also received a free pair of gloves and boots from goalkeeper Connor Ripley.
The Observer reported last year how Accrington Stanley Supporters Club member Jung was drawn to the Reds after uncovering a profile of owner Andy Holt online.
He admits he knew nothing of the team before reading about the chairman, not even the famous Milk Board advert of the 1980s.
Jung normally follows the club’s progress on Twitter and gets goal notifications on his phone, but finally enjoyed watching the Reds with his own eyes from the William Dyer Electrical stand.
Speaking after his first match, he told the Observer: “As you know we were defeated heavily but it’s OK.
“I received a very warm welcome. I was in heaven.”
Jung later posted on his Twitter account @WithinAccy: “I’ll never forget it! Best football club. Thank you for the warm welcome!”
Before the match Accrington Stanley posted on Twitter calling on fans to give Jung a ‘warm welcome’.
The club wrote: “Quite possibly our most distant season ticket holder, he’s travelled 5,440 miles to watch the Reds today! Welcome Jung Min Yoo!”
D J Bowers, club commercial manager, wrote: “Great to see you Jung Min Yoo. Hope you had a great day at Accrington Stanley. Safe journey and see you at another game in the future.”
Jung will return to the Wham Stadium on Saturday, January 5, to watch Stanley play Ipswich in the third round of the FA Cup before flying home on Sunday.
JOHN Coleman will not press the panic button after back to back defeats for his Accrington Stanley side.
The Reds were beaten 4-0 at home by Peterborough on Saturday and then started the new year with a 3-0 loss at Bradford.
But the Stanley chief insists a combination of hard work, quality in the squad and new additions during the January transfer window is the answer.
“We just have to keep working through it,” he said. “We’ve got good players here and we’ll try to strengthen in January and look forward.
“It’s difficult but you have just got to work hard in the transfer market to try to get the right ones in.
“There’s no point just taking players in for the sake of it, you have got to improve on what you’ve got. Nick Anderton is going back – Blackpool have recalled him. It’s a blow but we have to move on. We have dealt with it in the past, you just have to adapt to the situation and bring in someone else.
“I’m trying my best to resolve the loan situation as soon as possible.”
The New Year’s Day defeat at Bradford saw Offrande Zanzala dismissed for a reckless challenge and Coleman said: “He was having a terrible time and he was being goaded by the crowd as well.
“He’s only young and he’ll learn from that. I think the occasion got the better of him. Anyone who knows him knows there is not a malicious bone in his body and there is no one more upset in the whole of Bradford than him.”