Hereford United fan John Mills travels from Stockolm in Sweden for relegation clash (From Hereford Times)

Hereford United fan John Mills travels from Stockolm in Sweden for relegation clash

4:32pm Thursday 3rd May 2012 in Sport By Paul Rogers

JOHN Mills is hoping that Hereford give him some much needed cheer on Saturday after flying in from Sweden to see his beloved Bulls.

The 52-year-old is attending his aunt’s funeral in Ross-on-Wye today (Thursday) so is praying that the Bulls can lift his spirits.

“My aunt passed away a week and a half ago, so that is the reason that I am coming home, and I thought I would go to the Torquay game,” he said.

“I really thought that I would be watching our last game in the Football League, as I thought it would be all over at Crawley Town.

“I normally listen to the matches on my computer or via texts or tweets, but I couldn’t bear it on Saturday.

“My girlfriend had the result on her iPod and told me to have a look.

“I couldn’t believe it — I was blown away and it brought a lump to my throat.”

John grew up in Hereford and went to Hunderton Primary School and the former Haywood School with former Hereford United player Chris Price.

He still keeps in contact with the ex-Bulls hero and said he is proud to be his friend.

“He used to stand in the Meadow End with me and to me he is one of the greatest ever to have played at Edgar Street,” said John.

“I moved to Sweden in 1985 and didn’t know at first that he moved to Aston Villa until I saw a Villa game on TV.”

John, who lives in Stockholm, helped set up the Swedish Hereford United Supporters Club in 2001 after he persuaded some Swedish friends to sponsor the Bulls’ clash with Morecambe and watch “real football”.

However, despite not seeing a game for a while, John said that they are planning to come back to Edgar Street soon.

“I’m surprised how many people in Stockholm know about the Bulls and many ask what league we now play in,” he said.

“Of course most recall the Newcastle match in 1972, but it wasn’t that many years ago that Swedish TV showed the Leeds game in the FA Cup.

“But, of course, they made the classic mistake of saying that Hereford was in Wales.”

John added that he has no doubt that Hereford can beat Torquay and hopes that Burton do not lose to Barnet.

“If we go down, then it will be because we have lost so many games after leading,” he said.