A FORMER Blackpool Citizen journalist is making a 24,000-mile round trip -- to fulfil his Tangerine dream.

Marc Padgett was due to leave Sydney this morning (Thursday May 24) local time on a flight bound for Tokyo.

He leaves Japan on Friday morning local time and is set to arrive at Heathrow at teatime the same day.

He will then take a flight or train to Exeter or Bristol and spend Friday night at his mum's pub, the Cross Keys in Taunton, Somerset.

Marc is planning to take a train or hire car from there to the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff on Saturday (May 26) for Pool's date with destiny. Total mileage: 12,000.

The former Fylde sub-editor, whose father Kevin lives in Calder Road, North Shore, will have a night out with old friends in the Welsh capital on Saturday night -- hopefully to celebrate Pool's promotion -- before returning to Taunton on Sunday.

He plans to get back to Heathrow by Tuesday morning, for the flight back to Oz. Total mileage: 24,000.

When Marc left the Blackpool Citizen he moved on to work in Lancaster, Barrow and Edinburgh, before taking the plunge and moving 18 months ago to Sydney, where he is now sports editor with The Australian newspaper.

But the Tangerine ex-pat still follows all Pool's games on the Internet.s