Scott hopes his club can follow the Wimbledon story
He may have been to Old Trafford and met Sir Bobby Charlton as part of his “Walk the 92” project, but Portsmouth supporter Scott Mclachlan said his visit to AFC Wimbledon was extra special.
Scott (pictured above) popped into the Cherry Red Records Stadium yesterday to view the facilities and meet supporters at the fans-owned club during his charity walk, which is in aid of Prostate Cancer.
The 44-year-old, who was Spokesman for the Portsmouth Supporters Trust before embarking on his marathon walk to all 92 clubs in the Premier League and Football League, hopes his club can follow Wimbledon’s example if they complete their purchase of Pompey.
On a day when several volunteers were helping the club put together season ticket renewals to be sent out to supporters, Scott hopes Portsmouth will be able to capture the same ethos and spirit that has been so crucial to Wimbledon’s rise from the ashes.
Wimbledon has been a shining beacon for thousands of supporters around the country. Hopefully, we are just two weeks away from creating our own club and we are very excited about that. It may be slightly different circumstances, but the situations are similar with both clubs having suffered from what their owners did. “What Wimbledon have achieved in the last 10 years has been great for football,” Scott said. “The supporters made a positive out of a massive negative and Wimbledon are a great example of what can be achieved by a fans-owned club.
“This walk has been a great opportunity for me to go around the country and talk to supporters and find out how their clubs are run.”
to donate to the good cause.Scott’s WalkWimbledon was club number 86 on Scott’s gruelling walk that has so far covered over 2,000 miles, but the tour is not just about his crusade to help Pompey. He has a Just Giving page to donate funds to Prostate Cancer, the Football League’s official charity, and he is hoping to reach his £9,000 target. Click on
Of course, it has been a lot of fun for Scott too and he intends to compile a book about his experiences, containing pictures of each of the clubs he has visited.
The hardest part was in September when I was walking in the south-west up and down a lot of hills. I ended up in a lot of pain and had blisters that forced me to take a two-week break, but it has all been worth it. “I have taken an enormous amount of satisfaction from this walk,” Scott added. “I set-up an itinerary with nine different stages and it all started last August.
“I wanted to do something that would change me as a person and raise money for charity at the same time. It has taken a lot of planning as I have been staying at B & B’s all over the country and fans have kindly put me up. I have met so many football fans along the way and it has all been a great experience.
“The Premier League clubs have surprised me. At Man United I met Sir Bobby Charlton and Manchester City got the Premier League trophy and Charity Shield out for me. I have some great photographs and I am intending to put together a book about my experiences and all the clubs I visited.”
Next up for Scott is a visit to Millwall tomorrow and he will round off his tour at Portsmouth’s arch-rivals Southampton.