Football fans are a rare breed and are renowned for travelling far and wide to watch their favourites on a Saturday afternoon.

Well documented are the hordes of supporters from around the globe who make the long pilgrimage to Old Trafford to watch Manchester United.

Even Scottish Third Division minnows Stenhousemuir can boast an outside fan base of soccer crazy Norwegians who charter a private jet to visit the humble surroundings of Ochilview Park every season.

But one of the most bizarre football tribes of them all must be the Thirsk Blues, the unlikely lads of a small market town in North Yorkshire who follow Third Division strugglers Southend United.

However, their leader Simon Twinn is an Essex boy through and through, having been brought up in Grays, and has rallied his troops following a 21-year exile up north.

"We moved to Thirsk when I was 12 because my father, Dave, got a job teaching brickwork at nearby Northallerton prison," explained Simon, who is now 33.

"But by this time I had a healthy interest in watching Southend because my dad used to take me to Roots Hall.

"Even though I was starting a new life hundreds of miles from home I still followed Southend's results and it helped me to retain my identity in Yorkshire."

As a youngster Simon was unable to travel to Southend games and watched his football from the terraces of Darlington and Middles-brough with his new found mates.

"It was a day out and I used to enjoy it, but it wasn't the same as watching the Blues," he said.

"Once you start following a team you're hooked for life and there was never any chance of me changing allegiances, and, although I had some good times at Darlo' and 'Boro, I never bought a shirt or scarf."

Simon kept in touch with his beloved Blues via teletext and the minuscule columns of the national newspapers' lower division coverage.

However, at the ripe old age of 21 he decided enough was enough and it was time to start following his favourites properly again.

"I saw Southend play at Halifax in 1989 after travelling there with a couple of mates in a Beetle," said Simon, whose Essex tones have now been replaced by a broad Yorkshire accent.

"The car broke down on the way home and it cost us £60 to get back to Thirsk, but Southend won and we all had a good night out.

"I wanted to watch as many games as I could after that and I started going to their games up north on my own.

"People must have thought I was a right sad git, but you soon get to know the faces on the terraces and meet other fans."

However, Simon wouldn't remain a lone-ranger for long and convinced some of his mates to follow Southend.

"One of my friends Neil was curious about Southend and came along to watch a match," Simon continued.

"He loved every minute of it and within a few weeks the word had spread around Thirsk and we were taking a mini-bus to Southend's games up north.

"You see, all my mates support Leeds, Liverpool and Boro', but can't always get tickets or afford the £25 cost.

"But they love coming to Southend matches now because they enjoy the day out and the atmosphere of lower division terrace football more than stuffy all-seater stadiums.

"They've even bought hats, scarves and shirts which has made us the original Southend northern crew."

So the Thirsk Blues were born and their latest sortie took them to Darlington last weekend for Blues' 2-1 defeat.

"It was a disappointing afternoon, but 13 of us made the trip and we had a crack and a good drink," added Simon, who has a 17-month-old girl Liberty and is married to Thirsk bride Sandra.

"This will probably be our last trip of the season, but I'm hoping some of us might get down to Rochdale on Tuesday.

"It depends on if I can get a mobile phone as the wife is expecting another baby and I want to be at the birth, even though I want to be at the game."

Thirsk Blues, as a rule, only travel to Southend's games up north, but Simon isn't counting out a rare trip to the Seasiders' Roots Hall home at the end of the season.

"I've been back to Southend three times this year, but we've got Hartlepool at home in our last game which could be very important.

"We're in a bit of trouble near the bottom and might have to win to stay in the league - if that's so I'll be there shouting the boys on."

Northern crew - Simon Twinn (centre) and friends

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.