4-2-3-1 CHARITY CHALLENGE
Martin McConachie and his 16-year-old twins, Ryan and Harry, are setting off on an unusual charity challenge this month (April 2017).
The three Yeovil Town FC fans will set off from Bristol on 8 April to drive to all 92 Premier League and Football League clubs in just fourteen days.
Many of the clubs they are visiting are generously donating memorabilia, which will be auctioned online to raise funds for two charities that are close to the hearts of Martin and his family – The Adam Stansfield Foundation and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Martin, who runs a sports media administration business from home near Bristol, says: “We’ve called this the 4-2-3-1 Challenge because it features the top four football divisions, two charities, three fans and one goal in mind.
“The route is planned and we have contacted all the clubs, one by one, to see if they’d like to donate something.
“The response has been great and I’m hopeful that their wonderful generosity in supplying signed shirts, footballs, match tickets, mugs, pennants and more will enable us to raise a nice sum of money for the charities.
“We’ve also had fantastic support from a number of local companies who have sponsored us or helped out. Planning the challenge has been a very positive experience and now all three of us just can’t wait to get going.”
To visit all 92 clubs, Martin, Harry and Ryan will cover 3,000 miles in total, around 200 miles a day.
Martin adds: “The dates were carefully chosen as Adam Stansfield began his career in Yeovil and finished in Exeter, just as the challenge does.”
Adam Stansfield was a striker for Yeovil Town, Hereford United and Exeter City. The Adam Stansfield Foundation was launched following his death from bowel cancer in 2010 aged just 31.
The charity promotes community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of children and young people in Devon, Herefordshire and Somerset by the provision of grants and facilities for playing football.
As well as fantastic support from the football clubs they are visiting on the 4-2-3-1 Challenge, Martin, Ryan and Harry have received help from a number of companies.
Sponsors include Musbury Garage in Axminster, which is a Practical Car Rental franchise and Gulf fuel provider, who are supplying both the car and its fuel.
And Redrow Homes South West in Bristol, who are covering the cost of accommodation for the challenge.
For more information about the challenge, and to bid on any of the football memorabilia, please visit the 4-2-3-1 website at www.4-2-3-1.org.
