Football fan Gianfranco Giordano makes a 1,800km (1,100-mile) round trip from his home in Italy to watch Ebbsfleet United play.

The Italian policeman has swapped his season ticket at Serie A giants AC Milan to watch Ebbsfleet United because of his love for the Conference Premier side.

On matchdays, Mr Giordano flies from his Turin home to Stansted airport before arriving by train at Ebbsfleet International railway station.

Along with his £300 season ticket, each trip to the Blue Square Bet Premier league club costs him £200 – and over the next eight months he will be making the journey 18 times.

‘My first English game was Arsenal versus Liverpool in 1987 but I particularly like lower league English football with the terraces, the crowd choirs and the combative players,’ he said.

‘I love sitting in the Plough End at Ebbsfleet waving my two little flags.’

It was the concept of myfootballclub that attracted the Italian into supporting Ebbsfleet United with fans given the opportunity to have their say in how the club is run.

‘I like the idea of owning a bit of a football club,’ said Mr Giordano.

Albeit a little unusual for a football fan to travel so far to watch his side, few can argue with his determination to make such a journey week in, week out.