Man travels 4000 miles to watch Bournemouth before game is called off

An ex-pat Bournemouth fan who travelled 4000 miles to watch his team for the first time in five years was left distraught after the game against Nottingham Forest was cancelled. 

Ross Devonport, who lives in Florida, USA, touched down at Heathrow airport early on Friday morning excited for his first AFC Bournemouth game in five years.

But Storm Eunice followed hard on his heels and shortly after it began to batter the south coast with winds of up to 100mph.

As he made plans to travel to the seaside resort in Dorset, the 45-year-old saw on Twitter that the Cherries had called off their match against Nottingham Forest just a few hours before kick-off.

The storm, which caused flooding to the nearby Millionaire's row of Sandbanks, struck the team's Vitality Stadium, causing structural damage which posed a 'significant risk' to supporters' safety.'

But Ross, who lives in a state where hurricanes are a regular fixture, was enraged by the decision.

He last saw his cherished team play five years ago - and does not expect to see them again for another five years.

The professional American football commentator, originally from London, moved to Florida in 1992 when his father got a job with Guinness.

He has fond memories of watching AFC Bournemouth as a child during family holidays to Winton, Dorset, where his grandparents retired in the 1980s.

The father-of-two said: 'I've been an AFCB fan for 35 years, and I know how important this season is to try and get promoted again with the financial implications, so I was really looking forward to the game against a red-hot opponent and seeing Steve Cook back.

'I flew back just for the 2003 L2 final, was here for about 24 hours, if that, so that tells you how important the club is to me.

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