When Manchester City get their Club World Cup campaign underway at Lincoln Financial Field this evening, they will be backed by a few Blues who have the trip across the pond. FIFA's new tournament hasn't gone down well with everyone, but South American sides have brought the colour and the noise so far, and even if the European clubs can't match that in numbers, there are City fans making the trip who are determined to enjoy themselves. Pep Guardiola's side face Moroccan outfit Wydad AC in Philadelphia this evening, before playing Al Ain in Atalanta and Juventus in Orlando, and 41-year-old Andrew Spiby will be with them every step of the way. Andrew, from Salford, jetted out to New York on Tuesday with mates Calum Jarvis and Dom McGovern. On Friday, they will be joined by Craig Seers and Danny Brady for what promises to be quite the road trip across America. "It’s become planes, trains and automobiles," Andrew told the MEN before heading out to the tournament. "It's a bit mad." Andrew went to the Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia with Dom in 2023 and was determined to go again, having been a season-ticket holder since 1986. He was brought up a Blue in Salford and was one of only two City fans in his primary school, and he never dreamt of days like this. "That is partly why I'm going," he said. "We never even thought we'd get in Europe, my dad used to take me to watch Real Madrid and Barcelona, because as a kid, we never expected ever to get in Europe. "And then obviously we got in through the fair play and stuff like that, and we went to Belgium and places like Lokeren, but then to get in like the Champions League and then the Champions League final and the Club World Cup in Saudi, it's pinch yourself stuff, but that's why I try and do it." Having flown to New York, the group will get a train to Philadelphia for the first game tonight and then watch the New York Yankees tomorrow, before travelling to party town Nashville, where they will take in another baseball game. They will then drive to Atlanta, stopping in an American town called Manchester on the way, for the Al Ain game, before flying on to Miami, enjoying a sunset boat party and then getting the train to Orlando for the Juventus fixture. "We spend three nights in New York, so obviously during that time we're going to watch the New York Yankees as well, so it's going to be like more of a cultural thing, a cultural tour of America," said Andrew. "We're going to Nashville, which I've heard is one of the most up-and-coming party towns. We’re hiring a jeep, so on the route from Nashville to Atlanta, there's a town called Manchester, so hopefully we'll be pulling off there and spending a couple of hours there. "They’ve got murals and stuff like that with Manchester in it, so have a picture there and we've got City flags, so just a quick stop there really." For now, the plan is to fly home after that final group game against Juventus, but Andrew admits plans could yet change. "I've got holidays left, but I think it all depends on who we get and where it is, because if it's on the other side of the country, I don't think it'd be feasible. I’ve not really checked where the knockout games will be so far, so I'd have to have a proper look, but there is scope to stay on." Despite the size of the itinerary and the cost of the ticket, having booked them in advance before prices began to plummet, the trip isn't as expensive as the group had feared. "It's not been too bad. The flight from Manchester to New York is only, like, £230. Internal fights are about £100 each," said Andrew. "Most of the expenses come really in the hotels, to be perfectly honest. Our hotel in New Jersey is the dearest part of the whole trip, it’s like $800 for the three nights." Despite the low-key nature of the tournament on these shores, Andrew watched a video of thousands of Palmeiras fans taking off Times Square on Monday, while Boca Juniors supporters lit up Miami later that night. Meeting fellow supporters will be a highlight of the trip, especially after the experience in Saudi Arabia 18 months ago. "Because Saudi was so vast and there were only like four games, so it was like the quarter-final and the semi-final and the final, there wasn't really much going on, everything was at the stadium," he said. "You just had to do your own thing during the day, and then everyone went to the stadium and then the stadium it's a great atmosphere, but then you go away and then it's just too big. You would never have known there was a football tournament going on, where America seems to have really bought into it."