Father and son bond on 'football journey of love'

During the 2024/25 season, John and Oscar Aizlewood travelled to every Stevenage game, home and away.

Oscar and John, standing outside the entrance to Stevenage FC, John on the right, has short grey hair, and is wearing black hoodie, Oscar, has on a coat and a top, he has short curly hair. They are both looking at the camera and a glass building, is behind them.
Oscar and John Aizlewood went to every Stevenage FC game during the last season [John Aizlewood]

A father and son said they formed a very special bond after months of travelling to every home and away game for their beloved football team.

John and Oscar Aizlewood attended every Stevenage FC match, including cup ties, during the 2024/25 season.

Mr Aizlewood, 51, a sports writer and journalist, said it was "a love story" between them and a "snapshot" of their lives, before Oscar, 14, started his final two years of GCSEs.

Their journey has been recorded in a book, Before You Go, written by the dad to show what their life was like before other commitments got in the way.

Oscar and John at a Stevenage FC game, with a large crowd of people behind them. They are both smiling and looking at the camera. A football pitch is behind them, with a camera man on the pitch.
The book is called - Bedford You Go - Lower League Life and Love at the Lamex [John Aizlewood]

Mr Aizlewood told Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio that it was a "very personal" time.

"It's a love story between father and son and a love story for lower league football and Stevenage," he said.

He said he got into supporting the Hertfordshire club, known as the Boro, which is currently top of League One, through Oscar.

Last season, the club finished 14th in the table.

The back of John and Oscar. John is wearing a hat, with a bobble, on and a dark coat, Oscar, has short curly hair and is wearing a black coat. They are standing in a field, with grass and trees in the distance.
John and Oscar said some of the grounds they visited were better than others [John Aizlewood]

Oscar, 14, said he really enjoyed the year, which involved spending hours in the car with his father and planning where they would eat.

Mr Aizlewood, from Cheshunt, said each visit was varied and at Burton there was "just 13 of us stood huddled together in the cold".

"To have that experience and to bond like that in a deserted Burton stadium is something really special, and it's something we will remember for the rest of our lives."

One of "the best" trips was watching Boro beat Wrexham, 3 - 2, but "I think we found something wonderful in every place that we went", Mr Aizlewood said.

Another cherished memory was travelling to Stockport "on a school night".

"There were about 98 of us huddled in a corner muttering miserably to ourselves as Boro plummeted to a rare defeat in what was quite a good season," he recalled.

He said the book captured a shared moment in time and was a "snapshot of our year, before he goes".

"What happens next, I don't know," he added.

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Category: General Sports