Partially sighted Dundee United fan and guide dog visit every SPFL stadium

A partially sighted Dundee United fan and his guide dog have become the first man and dog duo to visit every SPFL stadium.

Jon Attenborough, 34, and eight-year-old Labrador Sam completed the feat when they visited Station Park for Forfar Athletic versus Stranraer on Saturday.

The challenge saw the self-employed accountant from Perth travel hundreds of miles across Scotland to visit all 42 stadiums.

Jon said: “I’m a big football fan and love Scottish football, so it’s amazing to have visited every single ground with Sam.

Perth man and guide dog ‘complete the 42’

“It was such a special day completing it.

“It feels like a massive achievement being able to visit them all – I never thought I’d be able to do it.

“It’s been made possible because of Sam

“I didn’t have the confidence to navigate big crowds on my own before – he’s made a massive difference to my life.”

Jon – who has no sight in his right eye and limited vision in his left – took on the challenge to raise awareness of how accessible Scottish football is for people with visual impairments.

Starting out in February 2022, his efforts went up a notch in 2024 – travelling to as many as three games a week across the SPFL’s four divisions.

He chose Station Park as the final destination as Forfar has a Guide Dogs for the Blind training school.

‘Positive feedback’ as Dundee United fan and guide dog visit every SPFL stadium

The duo were presented with gifts from the SPFL on Saturday.

Jon added: “Receiving these awards from the SPFL was a lovely added bonus and one that I’ll really treasure.

“I love everything about gameday – the matchday atmosphere and the crowd noises.

“A growing number of clubs in Scotland now have audio descriptive commentary, which really improves the experience.

“Sam loves it too. He’s usually doing one of two things; he’s either dead alert and watching the ball or he’s sound asleep and couldn’t care less.

“I’ve had such positive feedback from fans across the country about what I’ve been doing, so it’s been a really positive experience for me.”