Express & Star

From China to Shrewsbury for superfan Dan (it's a good job Town won)

The lengths that some football fans will go to are mind blowing and for one Shrewsbury Town fan, a 36-hour journey from the depths of China to Shrewsbury did not seem too much to ask.

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Professor Dan Hough set off from his home in Liuzhou in the Guangxi province on Monday morning.

He caught a train to Canton and then flew to Hong Kong. Then it was a 12-hour flight to Gatwick before heading north to Shrewsbury, reaching the town in time for the 7.45pm kick-off against Southend last night.

The 44-year-old season ticket holder has been spending the summer in Linzhou with his wife Ying Lin and three-year-old twin boys Stan and Vince.

The family live in China for two months each year, where Dan, who has been following Town for 39 years, writes before returning to his post as a professor of politics at the University of Sussex.

"I had to come back for the academic term, which starts shortly and thought it was the ideal opportunity to come and see Town play for first time this season," he said.

"Southend is not a great team and I am full of confidence that this season will be great for the Town as they have a very good team. "

His confidence paid off as Shrewsbury won 4-3 in a seven-goal thriller.