Andy Ollerenshaw is a glory supporter. He just follows one team for a while before moving on to the next as soon as they lose.

But that's a little harsh. Andy is actually a Leeds United fan, and gives the impression he won't be changing his allegiance any time soon. However, he has embarked on a most magnificent journey, one that will carry him from the very root of English football right up to its peak.

It all started one evening in August. Chertsey Town versus Wick in the extra preliminary round of the F.A Cup. A measly £6 entrance fee to watch a club that, Andy remembers, is barely known of in the town it's based, let alone the rest of the sporting world. An attendance of 100 or more and the directors would be rubbing their hands with glee.

Astonishingly, 138 football fans turned up that night to see Chertsey run out three nil winners.

Andy's journey had begun. From that moment on, he would follow Chertsey Town in the Cup. And then, if and when they got beat, he would then follow the team that beat them. And so on, all the way, Andy hopes, to the final at Wembley Stadium in May.

To chronicle his experiences, he started a blog, 'Wick to Wembley'. It has already had thousands of visits.

If at this point you find yourself asking 'why?' then you'll probably never understand.

"It's the magic of the F.A Cup," explains Andy. "Teams that no-one knows can suddenly be against the likes of Manchester United... and sometimes even win.

"I looked at all the dates for the rounds and realised I could probably make them all," he continued. "I'd been saying to my wife for years that I would do it one day, so I just thought why not?"

The words 'F.A Cup' mean so many different things to different football fans. For lower league fans, football is all about those rainy Tuesday nights, watching a team play on a pitch so muddy even the slobbiest of dogs would give it a miss. For fans of the big boys, football is all about the glitz, the glamour, the silverware.

But, when the F.A Cup comes to town, those two worlds collide. In the third round, a team of postmen and electricians could find themselves walking out at Old Trafford in front of a crowd of thousands - and a TV audience of millions.

And, gloriously, the polar opposite can happen: Giants of our national game could suddenly be faced with an away tie to a team a hundred or so league positions below them.

On a quagmire pitch, Ronaldo the global megastar is barely distinguishable from Bruce the painter and decorator. It's anyone's for the taking, and that's why football fans like Andy love it.

Whichever end of the football fan spectrum you find yourself, one thing that can always be agreed on is that the F.A Cup is one of, if not the greatest football tournament in the world.

Andy wasn't watching Chertsey for long. His next trip was to Kent for Game 2; Sittingbourne versus Chertsey. Remember, at this point, Andy is still 11 games from the F.A Cup third round, which is when the 'big' clubs - the Arsenals and the Chelseas - join the fray.

"A Wembley final felt a million miles away," he recalled in his blog after the match in which Sittingbourne won one nil. And so now Andy would follow Sittingbourne.

By game 10 he found himself in the Cambridge United Supporters Club bar. At this point he'd travelled an impressive 1078 miles, and he still had a long way to go.

This time his 'allegiance' was with Weymouth, who had disposed of Eastbourne Borough in the previous round.

Andy was sad to leave Eastbourne behind who he'd been watching since game 8, where he was greeted by none other than the club chairman. "They made us very welcome," he remembered. "We even got a tannoy announcement. We couldn't believe it."

The celebrity treatment continued as Pete pointed out that Andy's blog had been mentioned in the Cambridge matchday programme.

An hour or so before the game, Andy headed into the ground. Rather than sitting down in blustery conditions, he opted to stand behind the goal and join the Cambridge faithful to watch the game in what was the biggest home crowd of the season.

Sadly, he wasn't treated to a great game - Cambridge edged it with a soft first-half penalty - but now has the pleasure of following the U's to Wolverhampton for the third round. And then who knows where he'll end up.

"The only problem will be getting tickets," said Andy, when looking forward to the latter stages. "I'll have to pull in a few favours. Maybe from you!" he continued, gesturing towards his friend Katherine - a Liverpool fan living in Cambridge - who had come along for the game.

Which was all part of the fun too. Andy's F.A Cup run was not only a chance to see some great football, but also some great old friends. And as well as Katherine, Andy was accompanied by Ann, a Sunderland fan, and Pete who supports Queens Park Rangers. All neutrals that were here for one thing and one thing only: The F.A Cup. And maybe an award-winning bacon roll.

For a man who clearly loves his football, the 'Wick to Wembley' is a life ambition come true. He clearly can't get enough of the beautiful game. Indeed, before the Cambridge game, Andy found himself stood on the terraces watching non-league Staines Town beat League 2 Stockport County. He didn't need to be there. It was, in his own words, "extra-curricular".

So with all eyes on the present, where would Andy like to go next? His answer drew much agreement from everyone around him.

"Anywhere really," he said. "As long as it's not Tottenham."

Dave Lee

Wick to Wembley (external link)

Make Your Click Count For The U's - talk about it on the Message Board!

You are respectfully reminded that any article, as with all content on this website, unless otherwise stated, is subject to copyright © and the Official Cambridge United Website must be acknowledged as the original source including all quotes.

AT071205