'My 24 hours at Winter Olympics cost same as going to Llandudno'

Sports-mad John McAllister went to the Winter Olympics and back in 24 hours - for the same price as going to see Barry Town play Caernarfon in Llandudno.

The Cardiff Devils fan flew to Milan on Sunday to watch Canada play France in the men's ice hockey.

The 27-year-old realised while it would cost him about £125 for the train and football in Conwy county - plus the cost of food and drink - his entire Italy trip would set him back £135.

"It was cheaper than me going to Llandudno to watch Barry Town," he said.

The only potential glitch in his 24-hour trip was that he had to avoid forking out for a hotel, which could have added an extra £400 to his bill.

McAllister, a full-time YouTuber from Barry in the Vale of Glamorgan, landed in Milan at 11:00 GMT.

He said: "Being at the Winter Olympics was fantastic.

"There were people there from all over, though the two teams playing were heavily represented - there were 5,000 or 6,000 from Canada there.

"It was almost a party-like atmosphere, everyone was very excited, it was a massive event."

Canada, who were the favourites, beat France 10-2.

After the game McAllister, who supported Canada, took in the sights and enjoyed some pizza.

It was not McAllister's first time in Milan - he said he'd visited the "fantastic" city a couple of times before.

"Once I was watching football and the other times I was taking a long train to Sicily," he said.

By 23:00 he was back at the airport where he caught 40 winks before his 06:00 flight the next day.

"I found a corner and put my head down," he said, proving that a bargain trip to the Winter Olympics can be done.

"It says a lot about why people don't tend to use public transport in the UK. It costs so much money."

He has also watched rugby in New Zealand, ice hockey in Canada and football in Singapore.

His girlfriend, Beth, does not always join him on his sports trips.

"It's safe to say she thinks I'm slightly mad," he said.