Two workmates and rival football fans added a bit of exercise after deciding to watch a football match together by making a 100-mile trip from Watford to the West Midlands by bicycle.

Mike Haley, of Stanley Road, Watford is a Hornets season ticket holder, and can usually be seen in the family end of Vicarage Road at home games with sons Nat, 8, and six-year-old Ben.

However, Mike who works with Baggies fan David Pryke at the Office of Fair Trading, decided to go a bit further afield for one game, and rather than taking the car or public transport opted to travel by bike.

The pair set off from Watford at 6am on Saturday, October 31 for the West Bromwich Albion V Watford Championship clash, a game the visitors lost 5-0.

Perhaps mercifully the ride took longer than anticipated and Mike missed the first two goals Watford conceded, however despite the result he found the game enjoyable.

Mike, 46, said: “I was on a get fit middle age thing and had run a marathon a couple of weeks before.

“I was thinking of doing a triathlon and David said if I was doing that I should be able to cycle 100 miles.

“I had never been to an away game and thought why not go to West Brom and then why not cycle from Watford.

“We set off finding our way as we went. It poured with rain between Hemel Hempstead and Leighton Buzzard and by Coventry I felt like giving up.

“But after we got there it was such a sense of achievement I even enjoyed the game although we got thumped five-nil. It was a great day.

“When we got to the pub in Birmingham town centre afterwards they were the sweetest pints I have ever had.”

The friends returned by train that night and are already planning to do the trip next year - over two days.

But the experience has given Mike a sense of adventure for going to away games.

He said: “The next away game I am going to is Crystal Palace, but I am going by train.”