Football is famed for producing the most passionate and dedicated sports fans.

But none is more so than Beltinge’s Simon Harris, who is hoping to watch this year’s World Cup in 11 different countries.

Having already seen matches in Spain, Portugal, Denmark, Iceland, Sweden and England, the 56-year-old has six more to tick off before the tournament ends on July 15.

“I’ve been going to every World Cup since 1998,” he said.

“But this time I thought rather than do a whole month in Russia, which is a huge country with 11 time zones, I’d watch the World Cup through other people’s eyes.”

And Mr Harris has seen differences between the ways in which each country readies itself for a game.

“The Spanish, like the English, really get behind their country,” he said.

“You see flags, people in shirts and there’s a buzz about the place. The Portuguese are probably even more jingoistic and had images of Ronaldo all over the place.

“But Iceland was the most obsessed and mad place I’ve ever watched the World Cup. Everything – banks, shops, post offices – was shut at about 2pm ready for the 3pm kick-off.”

He labelled Copenhagen the “dullest” place he had been so far.

With drinking being central to many England supporters’ football viewing, the Manchester City and Herne Bay FC fan was struck by how differently other countries approached it.

“It’s not quite as raucous as in England,” Mr Harris explained.

“There’s much less of a drinking culture around watching the games than in England.”

Speaking on Tuesday, Mr Harris was preparing to travel to Gdansk in Poland the following day at 3am before heading to Kaliningrad to watch England versus Belgium on Thursday.

“I’ve had a couple of rest days,” he added.

“But I’ve got a bit of a cough – I think the travelling’s getting to me.”

Mr Harris will watch the quarter finals in France, Belgium or Germany, leaving him with one more country to go to for the semis.

But his plans could be scuppered if England makes it through to the last four.

“I’ve got a ticket for the semi and the final for England,” he said. “It would be a lovely problem to have, though.”