Thousands of Canaries have been getting in a flap about how to get to Wembley.

The Pink Un: Norwich City fan Nick Gooch is travelling back from South Africa for the play-off final.Pictured are his daughters with his car, which has the number plate CANARY1.Norwich City fan Nick Gooch is travelling back from South Africa for the play-off final.Pictured are his daughters with his car, which has the number plate CANARY1. (Image: Archant)

But spare a thought for the fans who are going considerably further than the extra mile.

While most of us worry about the train strike, parking and hiring a minibus, a small army of loyal long-distance followers are tackling migrations that cuckoos would be proud of.

Alongside plenty of awkward trips from continental Europe and far-flung parts of the UK, fans are jetting in from Canada, South Africa, Thailand, Australia, South Vietnam, Hong Kong and Dubai.

? Nick Gooch is spending £800 and travelling back from South Africa.

The Pink Un: Norwich City fan Nick Gooch is travelling back from South Africa for the play-off final.Norwich City fan Nick Gooch is travelling back from South Africa for the play-off final. (Image: Archant)

Mr Gooch, who turned 40 this year and celebrated with a yellow and green birthday cake, moved to South Africa in 2005, having been a Norwich City season ticket holder since 1982.

He said: 'My wife is South African and we met in England during the season we got to the play-off final and we got engaged in 2003, but she needed to move back to Cape Town during our promotion season in 2003-04.

'I stayed to watch the end the Premiership season in 2005, before moving over one week after we got relegated at Fulham.'

He will be going to the game with his mum, who lives in Wisbech and still goes to every home game with Mr Gooch's best friend, who has had his season ticket since he left in 2005.

The Pink Un: Jack Weatherley will be cutting short his stay in Sydney so he can travel back in time to go to Wembley.Jack Weatherley will be cutting short his stay in Sydney so he can travel back in time to go to Wembley. (Image: Archant)

He added: 'I've followed them everywhere when I lived in England – getting soaking wet watching us lose 4-0 at Preston, being freezing cold at Grimsby, travelling to Cheltenham and Bournemouth through to the highs of Old Trafford and Anfield and everywhere in between, including Cardiff, the last time we made the play-off final. This is something I simply can't miss.'

? Georgina Bailey, who was born in Litcham and now lives in Northop, North Wales, is cutting short a three-month trip around the world.

She is in South Vietnam, and coming back today to watch the match. Her father, Richard Bailey, said the decision had come at 'quite a cost', as all of her flights and accommodation were pre-booked.

? Jack Weatherley will be cutting short his stay in Sydney.

The 24-year-old has been in Australia for nearly eight months and was due to come home to Norfolk in about three or four weeks.

Mr Weatherley, from Harleston, said: 'I watched the semi-final in a bar called Cheers in Sydney with the Canaries Down Under.

'It was really good - there were about three Ipswich fans and about 40 to 50 Norwich fans and the place was going mental. I have never been to Wembley before and it's going to be a pretty good experience.'

? Andrew Spinks is one of several members of the UAE Canaries who will be travelling from Dubai.

His family has six season tickets spanning three generations, and eight members are planning to make the trip down to Wembley, including his brother who will be flying in from Hong Kong.

He has been supporting the Canaries since attending his first game in 1958.

A retired RAF air commodore, he has been working in Dubai for three years for a large Emirati company and will be flying in to Heathrow on Saturday.

He said: 'I flew back for the Middlesbrough game too (disappointing) and was at Portsmouth when we were promoted to the Premiership last time.

'As a family, we were all at the last play-off final in 2002 when we lost to Birmingham. I saw Norwich win the Milk Cup but to see them grace the new Wembley Stadium is surely an un-missable event for any Norwich City fan.'

? Nick Bloy (@NickBloy) tweeted a photo of himself getting into a taxi in Thailand at 6am Thai time on Wednesday. He said: '6am Taxi's here only 6000 miles to go! Wembley here I come.'

? At least seven people are heading Wembley from Hong Kong, according to one of them, David Spinks.