Charity bike ride raises over £2,600 for new scoreboard

A team of 11 cyclists undertook a 58km cycle from Blackpool FC's stadium to Accrington Stanley on Saturday ahead of the two clubs' tie at the Wham Stadium.

It took them up to four hours to complete the bike challenge, through drizzle, some sunshine and the odd very steep hill.

Together the pedal-powered team, made up of Stanley supporters and friends, stewards and club Managing Director David Burgess, raised a whopping £2,627.

Murray Dawson, Managing Director of Scott Dawson Advertising of Burnley, was among the cyclists.

He said: "11 of us set off from Blackpool and, thankfully, 11 of us made it to Accrington. Not all of us did a lot of training so I think we did incredibly well.

"For the most part, the route was very flat. Once we'd got to Ribchester the hills appeared but we were on the home straight by then. It felt good to be part of something that will make such a difference to fans at the Wham Stadium and the players too."

The Pedal Us To Glory cycle ride kicked off the OASSC'S 2016/17 fundraising campaign #UpInLights, which aims to provide an electronic scoreboard facility at the Wham Stadium.

Currently there is no scoreboard or clock that tells players how long is left to play, or updates supporters on the score. The campaign, which runs throughout the 2016/17 season, includes raffles, events and sponsorship.

This year's Pedal Us To Glory fundraising total exceeds that raised by the 2015 bike ride by around one thousand pounds!

Mark Brennan of the Official Accrington Stanley Supporters Club, who was among the cyclists, added: "The fun started at 9am outside Blackpool FC when we draped Blackpool legend Stanley Mortensen in an Accrington Stanley scarf! I'm sure he wouldn't have minded as it was for a great cause."

The team of cyclists was welcomed to the Wham Stadium by Accrington Stanley FC Assistant Manager Jimmy Bell who personally thanked them for their efforts.

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