Coventry City supporter and long standing England fan Lloyd Powell is in the Ukraine to follow England during the European Championship.
Here is the first edition from his blog from the tournament.
So It seems I've gone back in time. Here we are sat on a train heading for the eastern European outpost of Donetsk, Ukraine's coal mining region, to watch England begin their Euro 2012 campaign against France.
It kinda reminds me of a cross between a school trip and an episode of red dwarf. There's some right characters on here let me tell you. The effort required to do this trip means the English are mainly travelled heads who are perfectly at home on an old commie transport and theres some proper reminiscing going on!
There's also 1 or 2 excitable johnny come lately's who maybe see themselves as top boys in waiting, they'll learn soon enough that 'we'll do what we want' is wishful thinking in this part of the world.
Some locals are a bit taken aback by the sight of 300 anglo saxons singing and swigging ale on their commute!
Others are less bothered, There's a fella sat a few yards away washing his feet in a bucket. I mean, who thinks to themselves I know what I'll do, I'll take that bucket with me and give me feet the once over on the journey?
Strange. Ive learned a couple of things so far though, apparently the German army were seen by many as liberators rather than invaders during WW2 freeing the country from Stalinist rule...and don't open beer bottles with your teeth.
Anyway as the beer gets warmer I think it's time to throw my hat into the poker ring, the last winning hand won the huge total of 1 pound 30 pence...,this time next year Rodney!!!
Next stop Donetsk.
More tomorrow