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Ebbsfleet United fans took a 143 mile route to see the team play Whitehawk on Saturday

Most Ebbsfleet United fans took the traditional 65 mile road route to Whitehawk on Saturday - while three fans decided to take a 143 mile nautical route.

Shunning the M25 and M23, the 10 metre angling vessel Evelyn Jane took skipper Andy King with fans Joe Glidewell and Danny Eakins via the Strait of Dover and the English Channel to get to the Brighton suburb.

Ebbsfleet FC fans Andy King with fans Joe Glidewell and Danny Eakins took the long way round
Ebbsfleet FC fans Andy King with fans Joe Glidewell and Danny Eakins took the long way round

Joe told the Messenger: “It was pretty rough from around half way into the journey, but we got there without any dramas. It took around 20 hours.

“We wanted to do something different really, something that perhaps nobody has done before. I mean, 20 hours on a boat to a Skrill South game is pretty mad.

“Andy, the Skipper, has his own angling vessel and he was determined to go to a game by boat.

“He was looking into doing Grimsby away last season, but their involvement in the FA Trophy put a stop to those plans.

“I woke up Saturday morning after a bit of sleep and felt rough so didn’t believe I could make the journey back. For a bit of banter, I’m now nicknamed Halfway Joe.

“The two who remained stayed on the boat Saturday night and then left on Sunday morning around 10am and arrived back around 4am Monday.”

Leaving from Strood in the early hours of Friday, they passed Whitstable, Herne Bay, Margate, Folkestone, Dover, Hastings and Eastbourne in rough waters.

They eventually arrived at Brighton Marina just before 8am on Saturday.

Evelyn Jane‘s skipper Andy King told FleetOnline: “I just like doing things differently if possible. I am pretty sure nobody in the history of non-league has done this before. I want to do something not many, if any, have ever done.”

The game finished a draw, 1-1.

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