A DEVOTED North East footie fan is heading to Wembley via Spain on Saturday after making the shocking discovery that flights were cheaper than booking a train.
Like thousands of other Black Cats fans, James Jelly was among those trying to secure a journey from the region to the stadium in London last week.
At the time, fans were left forced with no other option but to make the more than 500-mile round trip journey in the car as rail tickets sold out within minutes.
Read more: LNER tickets to London sell out after Sunderland AFC reaches Wembley
But for the 33-year-old, who lives in Hetton-le-Hole, he is just £51 down after securing two flights and an overnight stay in Menorca, complete with breakfast.
Paying just £12.50 for a flight from Newcastle to Menorca on Thursday, Mr Jelly has paid a further £10 to get from Menorca to Stansted on Saturday and £28 for a hostel.
According to reports, the cheapest rail tickets between Sunderland and London ranged from around £54 to £83 one way and a whopping £161 for one way direct flights.
Read more: Sunderland have sold out their Wembley allocation and have requested more tickets
It means Mr Jelly has made a huge saving on his trip there, while he will not actually have to pay for his return as he has bagged a lift back with a fellow fan.
Explaining whether he would miss the camaraderie by not travelling with other fans, he also told the BBC: "I don't feel like I'll be missing out on the banter of heading to London with other fans, as I really like travelling and this is an adventure, just me and my drawstring bag, packed with my essentials.
"I'm more nervous than excited about the Wembley part of the trip - we've been to Wembley a few times now and the result hasn't gone our way, so although I am excited, I'm mostly nervous about the play-off final."
He admitted that although his family thinks he is "crazy," the father of two said he is looking forward to sharing his adventure with his children in years to come.
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