Gareth and Kealan Cheadle have turned Aston Villa's trip to the final into something much bigger than a football away day. The father and son from Halesowen are building their route around Valencia, Milan, Sharm El Sheikh, Istanbul and Berlin, with the final itself sitting inside a longer holiday.

Gareth said: “It is a memory that will last a lifetime. It is a fantastic opportunity.” He and Kealan had already started planning before the destination was settled, then kept adding places as the idea grew.

How the route came together

Gareth explained how the plan snowballed: “We had a chat and said, 'shall we book a bit of a trip, and a few places on the way just in case Villa don't get there?' Then we kept adding more destinations.” One of the highlights is four nights in a five-star all-inclusive hotel in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

The trip is also marking Kealan’s 21st birthday in a couple of months, which gives the whole thing a personal edge beyond the football. This is a family holiday built around a final, not a final being squeezed into a holiday.

Why the final still matters

Kealan is going into it with more belief than his father. “I am feeling confident, I think we can win,” he said.

Gareth is more cautious. “I am more sceptical. The Nottingham Forrest game showed we can turn up for any occasion. Fingers crossed we have another performance like that.” Villa’s 4-0 win over Nottingham Forest was part of the recent form sample, along with league games against Liverpool, Burnley and Tottenham.

Gareth also said Villa’s usual European away days have around 2,000 or 3,000 people, but Istanbul will be dramatically more than that. That is the scale of the night they are heading into, and the family have already made sure the journey home includes Berlin.

If Aston Villa get the result they want, the football will matter most. If not, Gareth and Kealan still have Valencia, Sharm El Sheikh and the rest of the route to look back on.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 10 outlets. How we work →