Football fan embarks on whistle-stop tour of London stadiums to fundraise for World Scout Jamboree

Excited scout Xander Lockwood is heading to Korea after being picked to represent Rotherham at this summer’s World Scout Jamboree

But before he jets off, he needs to raise £4,000 towards funding the trip.

So the 14-year-old teamed up with his dad Alan for a flying visit to the English capital’s EFL and Premier League grounds, finishing up at Wembley Stadium.

They got more than they bargained for when they ran into Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe and the Magpies’ England star Kieran Trippier en route, as well as going pitchside and into the dressing rooms at AFC Wimbledon.

During their challenge, which took 16 hours and 15 minutes, the pair clocked up 64,229 steps, covered 31.35 miles and visited 15 grounds, starting at 8am and finally reaching Wembley at after midnight.

Man United fan Xander, of Goldfinch Court, Manvers, said he had initially considered a sponsored coast-to-coast bike ride before hitting on the idea of a football-based journey, and the busy capital city had seemed the obvious place.

But what he thought would be a “breeze” suffered an early setback when it turned out there were no Underground trains running between Tottenham and Arsenal’s grounds, forcing Xander and Alan to walk.

Alan and Xander meet up with Kieren Trippier

However, this unexpected delay led them to a surprise meeting with Howe and Trippier, who were arriving for training with their Newcastle clubmates at Leyton Orient’s Brisbane Road.

“It was just crazy to be meeting Eddie, having seen him on Match of the Day every week, and he was really nice,” Xander said.

“I told my dad I also wanted to meet Kieran Trippier, after he scored that goal against Croatia (in the 2018 World Cup semi-final), which is one of my best ever moments watching football.”

Another highlight was being noticed peeking over the fence at Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium and given a tour of the ground by a club official.

By the time Xander made it to Wembley to be picked up by mum Melissa and sisters Francesca and Elizabeth, he and Alan were both shattered — and ready for a long lie-in the following morning.

But the exhausted pair could take comfort and pride in having raised £1,100 towards the Jamboree fee, with the international festival now only a few months away.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting people from other countries and learning about their cultures,” said Xander.

“I messed up a couple of answers in the interview and didn’t think I’d get in, but they clearly saw something in me.”

Xander, a former beaver, cub, and scout, eventually moved on to become explorer scout and young leader.

Since being selected in December 2021 for the jamboree, he has been attending training camps and team-building events, as well as carrying out fund-raising bake sales, tombolas and raffles.

You can make a donation through his GoFundMe page at https://gofund.me/2bd3e076 and visit his AlexanderWSJ2022 Facebook page to follow his preparations and the trip itself.

Stadiums visited:

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

Emirates Stadium (Arsenal)

Brisbane Road (Leyton Orient)

London Stadium (West Ham)

The Valley (Charlton Athletic)

The Den (Millwall)

Selhurst Park (Crystal Palace)

VBS Stadium (Sutton United)

Cherry Red Records Stadium (Wimbledon)

Craven Cottage (Fulham)

Stamford Bridge (Chelsea)

Loftus Road (Queen’s Park Rangers)

Gtech Stadium (Brentford)

Vicarage Road (Watford)

Wembley Stadium