BLACKBURN Rovers superfan Takeshi Imanishi is flying all the way from Japan to watch his beloved club in action at the Worthington Cup Final -- even though he doesn't have a ticket.

The Ewood Park fanatic is planning to travel to Cardiff's Millennium Stadium for Rover's first major final for 42 years on February 24.

But despite being a massive fan of the club Takeshi -- who changed his surname from Yamamoto after a family bereavement last year -- can't get a ticket because he hasn't been to enough games during the season.

Takeshi, a TV director from Sakura City, fell in love with Rovers after taking a liking to their blue and white strip back in 1994.

He first went to Ewood to watch a Rovers clash against Manchester United and managed to watch the game after the Lancashire Evening Telegraph got him a ticket despite the match being a sell-out.

He celebrated the club's championship win and keeps in touch with events at Ewood Park with help from friends Ken and Deborah Elvin, who run the Ellerbeck Hotel where he stayed on his first visit to Blackburn.

Takeshi, 31, even flew to England to get his marriage to bride Kayo blessed following their official marriage in Japan in 1997.

The Christian blessing was carried out by a curate from St Batholomew's, the church next to the ground.

Now, as he prepares to return for what could be Rovers' greatest triumph since winning the championship, friend Ken Elvin is appealing for the help of the East Lancashire people Takeshi has come to love.

Ken said: "Takeshi is a massive fan of Blackburn and really loves the area and the people as well as the football club.

"He is completely mad to fly all this way for the match, especially as he doesn't have a ticket, but he really wants to come. I hope someone can sort him out for the day.

"He's been over a few times now to watch matches and we've got really close. He was even an usher at my wedding last year."