Images of Copa America 2004, Peru - © Ross Clegg

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All images by Ross Clegg.

Based in Nottingham, yet from Scottish stock, Ross Clegg has been following Leeds United home and away for 20 years, and he is not about to be put off by having to swap visits to Home Park, Plymouth, for Milan's San Siro, either! The international football bug claimed him back in 1989, when trips to Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and both the former Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia proved conclusively that he could clock up the miles while feeding his passion for catching some of Europe's most illustrious club sides in action.
"Football is the magnet," Clegg explains, having achieved a notable double in adding the Copa America in Peru and Euro 2004 in Portugal to his long list of tournaments, "and without it I would never have seen Korea, nor got away from the tourist trail in Peru to see a completely different side to what is a beautiful country."
His plans to cover the globe have seen Venezuela and Japan added to the hit-list, although he is left cold by the thought of the 2005 Confederations Cup. "It's not that I don't like Germany, because I do," he assures Soccerphile. "I'm just uninspired by the idea behind the tournament."

Ross Clegg

As for me...well after two weeks in Portugal in June, I could think of nothing better to do to go and visit Peru, for three weeks for the next major football event. I set about travelling up and down the country with an exhausting flight schedule covering all the venues. Only to have my plans disrupted by the collapse of the major Peruvian airline due to allegations of money laundering. Undeterred by this set back I succeeded in visiting all the venues, but only by enduring a number of painful overnight bus journeys. This did however mean that I got to do an extra bit of sightseeing, taking in the Nazca lines on a road journey from Piura to Tacna. Peru is not an obvious destination for a football fan, but the chance to visit the likes of Machu Picchu whilst taking in a major competition was too much to resist. Now its back to reality and Championship football for me, but I am already looking forward to Venezuela in 2007. (And possibly Tokyo next December).

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