Meet Britain’s most dedicated football supporter – who hasn’t missed a single game for almost 50 YEARS.<br /><br />Rob Shannon, 64, has watched his beloved Birmingham City more than 2,300 times in a row, both home and away, since they beat Derby County 3-2 in 1974.<br /><br />Before that, he only missed a game because he was too poorly to get out of bed and just the Covid pandemic has stopped him attending matches in recent years.<br /><br />Dad-of-two Rob has lost count of the money he has spent following the Blues up and down the country but knows it's running into "plenty of thousands".<br /><br />He has watched them in the old Divisions 1, 2 and 3 as well as the Premier League and Championship - plus every League Cup and FA Cup game in between. <br /><br />Rob, who works as a driver, first went as a four-year-old boy during the 1962/63 season and soon fell in love with the Blues, going every week. <br /><br />He even admits his infatuation with the club could be to blame for his divorce - from an Aston Villa fan.<br /><br />Loyal Rob says his favourite game over the last 60 years was watching them win the Carling Cup at Wembley, beating Arsenal 2-1 in 2011. <br /><br />His favourite player was the recently deceased Trevor Francis and he reckons Jude Bellingham is one of the best talents the club has ever produced.<br /><br />He even named his son Andrew, 32, after their home ground of St Andrew's, and he now also sits on the Birmingham City Former Players Association. <br /><br />Rob said: "My mum and dad took me down when I was a boy around the 62/63 season and I've loved going ever since. I was mascot for several years. <br /><br />"I haven't missed a game since 1974. The only thing that has stopped me going was the pandemic when obviously nobody could go.<br /><br />"It's become a bit of an obsession, I just follow them through thick and thin - although it's been more like thin and thin.<br /><br />"People say you must have seen all the ups and downs - and I joke it's mostly downs for Blues.<br /><br />"But I got to see them lift a major trophy in 2011 which I think most Birmingham City fans never thought we'd see. <br /> <br />"There have been some good times really but it has been a bad few years. Although the new owners sound like they really mean business and are very ambitious.<br /><br />"Getting the likes of Tom Brady on board can only be a good thing so I think the future is bright and I certainly have no intentions of stopping.<br /><br />"I'm also happily divorced from a Villa fan, she used to say, ‘you love Blues more than me’. I always joked, ‘I love Villa more than you'."<br /><br />Rob, from Sheldon, Birmingham, once even discharged himself from hospital to travel to an away game at Swansea and has also missed family occasions. <br /><br />He added: "I guess you have to be a bit mad to be a Blues fan. I'll only stop when I physically can't get down there anymore.<br /><br />"I haven't added up the cost but it'll be plenty of thousands. It's best not to think about it.<br /><br />"I was devastated when Trevor Francis passed away, I got to know him and his sons. He is still my favourite player.
