When Jon Attenborough wrote the final word of his book Following Sam he had no idea it would become a tribute to his beloved guide dog.
Labrador Sam led Jon on an epic tour of all 42 professional football grounds in Scotland
The pair had been together night and day for seven years.
So Jon, 35, is heartbroken at the sudden loss of his ‘best friend’, who was only eight years old.
Sam died suddenly on March 16 when a dormant tumour on his heart burst just six weeks before his story is launched.
Following Sam is a record of their achievement – Sam was the first dog to attend matches at every SPFL stadium.
It highlights obstacles faced by sports fans with disabilities and the lengths clubs go to overcome them.
But it’s also a testament of the bond between guide dogs and those who rely on them.
The last thing Dundee United fan Jon expected was Sam to die just before publication and he says: “It’s almost become his life story in a way.”
Sam’s absence will be notable at the book launch at Hampden on May 1 when he would have been by Jon’s side.
Jon and Sam’s social media following
He was a familiar sight at Tannadice Park and stadiums around Scotland.
Jon, from Perth, built up a large social media following with him, posting videos of their visits to different grounds.
He says: “Sam passing away has really brought it home just how much he meant to me.
“You’re with them almost 24/7.
“When someone has a pet dog they might go out without them for the afternoon and come back.
“Apart from the odd day he was being looked after by family members, for the past seven years we were inseparable night and day.
“The bond is really strong probably not just with guide dogs but assistance dogs in general.”
How Jon’s sight deteriorated
Born with two rare eye conditions, Jon later developed an aggressive form of glaucoma.
His sight deteriorated around 10 or 11 years ago and he now has no sight in his right eye and little sight in his left.
He started using a stick then got his first guide dog, Zorba, in 2016.
The difference, he said, was like “night and day”.
“With a stick you’re having to find all the obstacles yourself,” he explains, “whereas a guide dog is navigating you around the obstacles so you don’t even know they’re there.”
His first experience of being at a football match was with his brother at a Dundee United match against Barcelona in 2007.
He loved the atmosphere and started attending games regularly.
But it was only after lockdown that he began going with Sam, who he got in 2018.
Their first outing to watch Dundee United
By then the pair had developed what Jon says was a “fantastic partnership”.
“Getting matched with Sam just gave me that confidence to actually start going to games on my own,” he explains.
Their first solo outing was to a Dundee United match.
And both Jon and Sam loved it.
So it became a regular pastime for the pair.
“Sam loved all the attention he got from everyone,” says Jon.
“Every time someone passed he would be wagging his tail.
“When we were sitting in the stands he would either be lying flat out sound asleep, couldn’t care less about the match, or he’d be sitting right up watching the ball going back and forth like a hawk.
How Jon ensures access to stadiums
“We were welcomed really well by all the clubs and all the supporters would get to know him.”
All professional football clubs have a disability access officer. Jon contacts them before attending to ensure he can get in the accessible gate and to organise access to audio commentary.
It was only when he started going to away games and realised that lots of clubs offered the audio commentary service that his mission to visit all 42 SPFL grounds was born.
“That made me want to explore what accessibility generally was like in Scottish football.
“I wondered if Sam and I could visit all of them.
“Over the past couple of years were were going to a game every week.”
Jon built up a large following on TikTok and X posting videos of their visits.
His conclusions about accessibility were largely positive.
“It’s definitely improved a lot, even just within the last five years.
“All the clubs having a disability access officer has really enhanced that.
“I think since Covid lockdowns there has been an increase in disabled supporters wanting to go along to football matches.
“Clubs have recognised that and they’re trying to put things in place to make match days more accessible.
“It gets a bit trickier with some of the smaller clubs who don’t have as much money as like Celtic or Rangers.
“There are financial challenges but the clubs do what they can with what they’ve got.”
The idea for a book
Jon and Sam were well through their tour of Scotland’s grounds before the idea of writing a book emerged.
On the train home from each match Jon had been jotting down notes about each stadium.
“I was talking to some friends about it and they said, ‘you know what, that would make a really interesting book’.
“I had never really considered that before. But I put a proposal together and thankfully the publishers loved it.”
Following Sam takes readers through Jon’s journey of getting to know and bonding with Sam as well as their experience of football fandom.
“It talks about the confidence and independence Sam has given me over the last seven years,” says Jon, who is on a waiting list for a new guide dog.
He hopes it will inspire confidence in other disabled people to get out and enjoy sporting and other events.
He says: “Scottish football can get a bit of a bad rep. Sometimes justifiably so.
“But I think this is one of the really positive aspects of the game.
Jon hopes his book will encourage others
“There are so many people behind the scenes doing incredible work to make it a welcoming experience for everybody.
“Hopefully it might encourage somebody who’s maybe never been to a game, who is a bit anxious about going, to go along for the first time.”
And, of course, Following Sam is a tribute to the dog who made following football possible for Jon.
‘Sam loved life and loved people’
“Sam was just a very, very, very happy dog,” says Jon.
“Anybody who met him, I think, would describe him as the happiest dog they’ve ever met.
“If someone walked into the house or past in the street he’d look up at them with his tail wagging.
“He just really loved life and loved people.”
Following Sam, published by McNidder & Grace, is available for pre-order.
It will be launched at the Scottish Football Museum, Hampden, on May 1. A book tour of Scotland will also see Jon at Waterstones in Dunfermline on May 9, Dundee on May 15 and Kirkcaldy on May 22.
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