Words Brian Flynn

Altrincham Football Club has raised over £6500 (including Gift Aid) for ‘March of the Day III’, a 350-mile six day walk around 47 football and rugby league stadia between Liverpool, the home base of the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation and the Rob Burrow Centre for Motor Neurone Disease being built through the Leeds Hospital Charity. 

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This major event took place in memory of Darby Rimmer MND Foundation Co-Founder, Chris Rimmer and Leeds Rhinos legend Rob Burrow and in support of Stephen Darby, Marcus Stewart and the many families affected by MND. 

Joining the section of the walk from Altrincham FC to Wythenshawe FC and pictured (from left to right below) in the Community Sports Hall at The J.Davidson Stadium were Martin Kelly, Jay Spearing, Marcus Stewart, Ricky Lambert, Stuart Barlow, Ryan Giggs and Viv Anderson

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Also on the walk was Rugby League legend, Kevin Sinfield, who has since been knighted for his remarkable fundraising efforts in raising over £11 million for MND in memory of his great friend and colleague, Rob Burrow.

Last year, we lost one of our longstanding Alty fans, Jez Spruce, to Motor Neurone Disease and Jez’s wife Anne, who came along with family and friends to The J.Davidson Stadium, is pictured with Sir Kevin.

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The March of The Day III walkers arrived in Altrincham from Old Trafford and Swinton Lions RLFC, who are based at Heywood Road in Sale, around 2.15pm on Wednesday June 3rd, with food very kindly provided by The Bake House, opposite the ground.

The six-day event was split into two halves with two centrally recruited core teams of 24 completing each half, walking continuously in rotation.

Altrincham FC played a big part in the first half of the walk, with former Alty players, Gary Scott and Ged Kielty walking for three days to complete the first half of the walk at Stockport County’s Edgeley Park ground on Wednesday, June 3rd around 6pm.

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Gary Scott sustained a leg injury before the event but that didn’t stop him supporting this event for the 2nd year running.

Ged Kielty also walked for three days, just a few weeks after his own heroic 219 mile ‘Coast 2 Coast Challenge’ which raised an additional £5,000 for The Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.

Pictured above with Ged Kielty is former Altrincham FC director, Neil Faulkner, who along with his wife, Hazel, were part of the core team, providing over 200 hours support between them during the six-day event.

HELP US REACH OUR CLUB OBJECTIVE OF £8,000 HERE 

Thank you to every Alty fan who has donated to this fantastic cause!