A COUPLE from East Lancashire has more reasons to look forward to the World Cup than most after jetting off to South Africa.

While thousands of people in the region will be tuning in to TV coverage of Friday’s opening ceremony, Mark Townsend, 47, and his wife Kerry, 53, will be there.

Mark, a Blackburn Rovers season ticket holder, from Burnley, has tickets for the opening game between South Africa and Mexico in Johannesburg.

They will then travel to Rustenburg to watch England’s opening game against USA on Saturday.

He also has tickets for England’s second game against Algeria in Cape Town before they fly home.

Mark, who was born in Darwen and is a former councillor in the Gannow area of Burnley, has been to two previous World Cups, Japan in 2002 and Germany in 2006.

But this year’s tournament will be one of the ‘best ever’ he said.

“The history of the country and the love of the game in South Africa will make it an amazing tournament,” he said. “I can’t wait for it to start. I’m always confident and I think we’ll have a great chance at doing something special.”

The couple will stay with relatives in Johannesburg but have secured scarce B&B rooms for the rest of the two-week trip, which cost £4,000 in total.

In Japan, Mr Townsend did not get in any England matches but saw Republic of Ireland v France.

In Germany he watched England v Paraguay but he hopes for his best trip yet this year.