ALAN GREGORY can rightly be described as fan-tastic.

The 47-year-old, from Yarm, near Stockton, has been chosen ahead of thousands of England football supporters to reach the final five of a national competition run by England team sponsor Carlsberg.

Mr Gregory, an optometrist, answered 20 questions in 35 seconds on the competition website, making him the second-fastest person in the country to successfully complete the trivia quiz.

The second stage involved being interviewed by a sports journalist and a representative from Carlsberg, after which he was named the regional winner.

The overall winner will be decided by a public vote on the website, and Mr Gregory is way out in front, with more than 33,000 votes -about 25,000 ahead of his nearest rival.

First prize is a season ticket covering all sporting events at the new Wembley stadium for a year.

Mr Gregory said: "If I win, it will be a great honour, not just for myself, but for the North-East."

He started going to watch England games in 1994 with his son, Andrew, who is now 21. He estimates he has since spent more than £5,000 watching his heroes play about 30 times, including at the Euro 2000 and 2004 competitions in Holland and Belgium and Portugal.

He said: "I know some people have been to a lot more games than me, but that isn't what the competition is all about."

As well as following the national team whenever he can, he is an avid Middlesbrough fan.

A season ticket holder, he has not missed a game at the Riverside stadium since the birth of his daughter, Kirsty, in October 1983. He also followed the team to Sporting Lisbon, Villareal and Eindhoven on their recent European crusade.

He said: "I just love football, full stop. I cannot get enough of it. Boro satisfy a lot of it, but England fills the gap when there are no Premiership games."

Luckily for Mr Gregory, he has an understanding wife, Jayne, who accepts being a football widow. He said: "My wife hates football, but she has got used to it now and she just lets me get on with it."

To vote for Mr Gregory, visit www.englandsbestfan.com/probably

Do you know a more dedicated England fan? Call our newsdesk on 01325-505064.