Mark Whitwood, Daniel Littleboy, Stuart Baillie with Norwich City Manager Bryan Gunn

City fans' in charity bike ride

Published: 09/4/2009 by: Rob Garratt, Evening News 24

Norwich City supporter Daniel Littleboy will be visiting two of the world's greatest football stadiums as part of a marathon cycling trip over 10 days to raise thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Littleboy is one of two Canaries' fans completing the feat of biking from Barcelona to Liverpool to raise funds for a cancer charity.

The trip was the brainchild of long-distance City supporter Mark Whitwood - who lost his partner's father to cancer and wants to help others avoid a similar fate.

The football themed trip will them starting at the FC Barcelona stadium the Nou Camp and finishing up at Liverpool FC's ground Anfield.

Along the way they have plans to stop at other football stadiums, and will be met off the ferry at Portsmouth by England star, and former Canaries player, Peter Crouch.

The 10 day ride begins on April 22 with eight bikers and two support staff making the trip in total, and together they are hoping to raise £25,000 for the Marina Dalglish Appeal - a charity launched by former Liverpool footballing legend Kenny Dalglish's wife after she successfully beat breast cancer in 2003.

Mr Littleboy, 28, a self-employed mortgage advisor who lives in Sotherton Road, near Eaton Park, says he has shed two and half stone in the last few months in preparation for the ride.

He said: “We start in less than two weeks and I'm very scared - I've done some training but it's going to be so much more difficult doing the first two days on the Pyrenees.

“Mark put the idea to me at the pub before a Norwich City game - he said 'You're crazy enough to do it' and I stupidly said yes.

“It's something new and it's something I have never done before. The main thing is that I want to finish and get to the end - when you start something like this you're always thinking 'will I complete it or will I fail' - I'm looking forward to testing myself.”

When the bikers return they will be hosting a charity function at Anfield on May 8, which will see them auctioning off football memorabilia various clubs have donated to them, including signed Canary shirts. Throughout the ride the bikes will be completing a daily blog that can be tracked on their website.

Mr Whitwood, 28. who lives in Liverpool with his partner Rachel and is a member of the Northern Canaries Supporters' Association, said: “My fiancés father died of cancer three years ago and when that happened I wanted to raise money for people who suffer. Cancer is something will experience in their family or friends at some stage.

“The ride is going to be a hard graft but I'm really looking forward to it.”

To sponsor the riders, visit www.justgiving.com/activebikechallenge

Source: www.eveningnews24.co.uk

We are delighted that The Marina Dalglish Appeal has reached its original target of £1.5m and that the centre for Oncology at University Hospital, Aintree, opened on 4th June 2007... It is through your continued support and generous contributions that we have been able to achieve our goal.

We have now set ourselves a new and exciting challenge in conjunction with Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology to help build a much needed Radiotherapy Centre in University Hospital Aintree, bringing the treatment closer to the patients.

Kenny and myself have been constantly amazed at how much time, effort and money you have all been willing to donate, and we realize that nothing would be possible without your help. Thank you all very much and hopefully together we can achieve our new goal!

marina