Crazy England fan takes 15,000-mile scooter ride to Brazil

London: Riding a Vespa scooter, a die-hard English fan has covered a distance of 15,000 miles from London to Brazil watch his team compete in the FIFA World Cup starting Thursday. Chris Hallett, 44, took four months to reach Brazil after setting off from London. "I am a bit knackered. My backside definitely feels like I have ridden 15,000 miles," he was quoted as saying in the London Evening Standard. "Obviously, the easier option would be to fly to Brazil and sit on a beach waiting for the World Cup to begin. But where`s the fun in that?" Calling the experience "exhausting but exhilarating", Fulham fan Hallett has passed through 18 of the 32 countries competing in the tournament. His charity trip has also seen him ride over the Alps in Europe and Andes in South America.

Hallet, who gave up his IT career and is using his life savings to fund his `Scooters for Goalposts` ride in aid of charity UNICEF, has a ticket to cheer on Roy Hodgson`s side against Costa Rica in Belo Horizonte June 24. "If Roy Hodgson has got the team practising as many penalties as I am facing, they could go far. In fact, I expect us to beat Brazil in the final on penalties. And if that prediction comes true, I`ll ride naked up and down Copacabana Beach!"