Stoke City fan's 300-mile charity walk from Celtic Park
Paul Venables, a Stoke City fan, will be taking in landmarks that were key to his footballing idol Lou Macari during his journey.
The 50-year-old, who goes by the name The Bearded Wanderer, has already completed various fundraising treks, including walking 258 miles from Kidsgrove to Looe and 150 miles from Stoke to Watford.
Paul will walk 300-miles starting from Glasgow (Image: Supplied)
Read more: Celtic legend gives glowing endorsement of Hoops transfer target
His latest challenge will be the furthest yet, walking 300 miles from Glasgow's Celtic Park all the way to Stoke to raise money for two different charities.
Paul said: "I plan to start off on June 29 in Glasgow at Celtic where Lou started his playing career, then head south to Manchester and Old Trafford for July 11 where Lou played for Manchester United and also has his famous chippy, ending the stomp at Macari Centre on July 13, just a stone's throw away from where the Victoria Ground was, where Lou managed Stoke City.
"I'm raising money for The Macari Foundation; a homeless charity whose patron is Lou Macari, who has strong ties to all three clubs.
"All three walks also see me raise money for The Davies Foundation."
Paul at Watford's Vicarage Road (Image: Supplied) Though the treks in themselves are a test of endurance, they are even more difficult for Paul, who suffers from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a condition which makes walking painful.
He said: "Just to complicate matters, I'm a zebra, in that I suffer from Ehlers Danlos Syndrome.
"As my variant isn't too bad (Classical Ehlers Danlos), it's mainly unsightly lumps on my elbows and knees, stretchy skin, and quite relaxed joints.
"From a walking perspective, this can give me stiffness and inflammation in my ankles and Achilles so even without these stomps, some days walking full stop can be painful."
As well as donating to the charities using his online Just Giving page, Paul is also asking for support throughout his latest stomp.
Read more: Celtic to 'spend big' on striker as star's chances to be limited further
Paul taking a break during one of his charity walks (Image: Supplied) He said: "Please help me raise much-needed funds for these community-based charities, or could you help me along the way, somewhere between Glasgow and Stoke.
"I'm still looking to have one of my stopovers paid for and money for a kitty alongside the Just Giving page.
"Or perhaps, if you're feeling up for it, then feel free to join me for a little while – it's only around 300 miles in a couple of weeks."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
36 minutes ago
- The Sun
‘People don't know this' – Michael Owen breaks silence on ‘well done he's 13' meme 26 years on from humiliating teenager
IT IS probably the cringiest moment from Michael Owen's long list. But now he has broken his silence on the infamous "well done, he's 13" gag from Neville Southall. 6 6 Owen featured in a Michael Owen Soccer Skills video in 1999 where he faced a young goalkeeper at an empty Stoke City stadium. The former England striker did his best to humiliate the 13-year-old Jamie Hutchinson, who was given goalkeeping tips from Southall. To his credit, Hutchinson did make some saves. But the video is remembered for Owen chipping, rounding and firing past the helpless child between the sticks - before shamelessly celebrating each finish. The laughing ex-Liverpool man clenched his fists, ran away with his arms aloft, mocked the goalkeeper for nutmegging him and pointed to his name on the back of his shirt. But it was his embarrassing shout of "get in there - game, set and match, Owen" that triggered Southall's brilliant quip. Southall said: "Well done, he's 13," a comment which remains a viral sensation and etched into British football heritage. But now, 26 years on, Owen has opened up on the clip - and revealed not all was quite as it seemed because he was told to play up for the cameras. He told talkSPORT: "I was only a couple of years older than him myself!. It's probably funny now. 'I got back from the World Cup in 98 and there were loads of commercial opportunities, things like that. Virgil van Dijk 'destroys' Michael Owen with brutal 13-word put-down on live TV after Liverpool beat Everton 'I was asked to do a soccer skills video and a soccer skills book. So I had to explain, talk through finishing, volleying, heading, whatever the skill was. Inevitably, you need a goalkeeper there. 'I never picked them and so I turned up to do the show and to talk through how I see scoring a goal and what I think in certain scenarios and whatever. 'There was a kid in goal that I had to score past and when I scored they're like, 'Come on, no, you need to show a bit more animation. Like celebrate when you score, this is going on a video.'" talkSPORT host Andy Goldstein clarified: "So people don't know this, right?" And Owen continued: "People just laugh at you no matter what. Then they take a little extract of anything. 'There's loads of things like that on the internet on me.' 'NOT EXACTLY IDEAL' Hutchinson spoke about the viral video in 2016 and admitted he knew it would not come out too well for him. He said: 'Being the goalkeeper on a programme headlined by a striker wasn't exactly ideal for me. 'It was made clear that it wouldn't make good filming if the goalkeeper was saving all the shots taken by the other kids after they had been coached by Michael.' And even Southall himself did defend Owen's actions earlier this year. The 92-cap Wales goalkeeper - who reunited with Hutchinson a few years ago - added: "I think he was being ironic to be fair, but I think he was enjoying himself and being ironic. 'But the poor kid, he scored a squillion goals past him and I was thinking 'give him a break'. 'On the day, Michael was okay and he's always okay. 'People judge him on that and that's not him." 6 6 6
The Sun
37 minutes ago
- The Sun
Tottenham clear decks for Thomas Frank as Spurs sack THREE of Ange Postecoglou's coaching team hours after boss axed
TOTTENHAM have sacked three members of Ange Postecoglou's coaching staff following the Aussie manager's dismissal yesterday. Postecoglou was relieved of his duties in North London yesterday despite leading Spurs to a first trophy in over 17 years this season. 5 5 5 The 59-year-old said his "overriding emotion is one of pride" following his dismissal, while Spurs claimed the decision to sack the former Celtic boss was one the "toughest" the board has had to make. Now the search for a new manager is underway and Spurs are already clearing the decks for their number one target - Brentford gaffer Thomas Frank. The Telegraph have revealed that Postecoglou's assistants Nick Montgomery, Sergio Raimundo and Mile Jedinak have all been axed too. However, senior assistant coach Matt Wells and goalkeeper coach Rob Burch have remained in their roles. Sporting director Johan Lange is leading the search for Spurs' new boss with Bees gaffer Frank, 51, thought to be the front-runner for the position. It's claimed that Frank is keen on taking the job at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and would want to bring members of his coaching staff along with him. Although the Dane is Spurs' preferred candidate, the club are reportedly "carefully assessing" their options with Fulham 's Marco Silva and Bournemouth 's Andoni Iraola also in the frame. It's widely understood that Spurs would have to fork out around £10m to release Frank from his current deal with Brentford, which runs until 2027. 5 5 Spurs have already had to splash the cash to get rid of Postecoglou, with the Aussie pocketing a rumoured £4m compensation fee on top of his £2m bonus for leading the club to Europa League glory. Sporting director Lange and Frank have history, with the pair coaching together at Danish club Lyngby and maintaining a good relationship since those days. Tottenham told fans in a statement that "news on the appointment of a new Head Coach will be announced in due course". Fans have hit back at Spurs for their decision to dismiss Postecoglou after winning the Europa League. While club is also facing a dressing room revolt with players more likely to leave after Postecoglou's exit, according to reports. But the Spurs hierarchy reiterated that they cannot base their decisions off their performance in just one competition. Their statement read: "Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. "It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. "This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. "We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision." Ange Breaks Silence On Tottenham Sacking ANGE Postecoglou issued a statement just moments after being axed. It read: "When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. "The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. "Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. "That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. "There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. "We have also laid the foundations that means this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. "I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them. I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. "I know there were some difficult times, but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on. "It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis. "And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. "A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special. 'We are forever connected. Audere est Facere.'
Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Jadon Sancho's stance on playing for Man Utd again after Chelsea's £5m decision
Jadon Sancho is facing an uncertain future in the summer transfer window after Chelsea's decision not to sign him permanently forced Manchester United to confront their previous mistakes Manchester United have been handed a serious problem after Chelsea refused to sign Jadon Sancho permanently, because he has no intention of ever playing for the club again. Sancho had appeared set to join the Blues permanently after spending the season on loan in west London, only for negotiations to break down. Chelsea ultimately decided they would rather pay United a £5million fee than go through with signing the winger for £25m. Sancho is paid around £300,000 per week by United and he and Chelsea had been unable to find a compromise on his wages, forcing a rethink for all parties. United are desperate to sell off their unwanted players in the summer transfer window, in order to help fund a rebuild under Ruben Amorim. Sancho had appeared to be the most straightforward deal, with Chelsea lumbered with an obligation to buy the 25-year-old, only for the move to break down. He has now joined the list of other unwanted players United must find buyers for, which also includes fellow loanees Marcus Rashford and Antony, and wantaway winger Alejandro Garnacho. Keeping Sancho for the 2025/26 campaign under Amorim is not a viable option, with ESPN reporting that he has no intention of pulling the United shirt on again. His stance matches that of Amorim, who doesn't want him in his squad when the next season begins. Sancho returned five goals and 10 assists in 42 appearances across all competitions for Chelsea, helping them win the Conference League – a solid if unspectacular effort which won't help their efforts to sell him. The report states that there is tentative interest from West Ham, although Sancho's wages will be problematic. He has another year left on his contract with United, who are reluctant to buy out the winger in order to grease the wheels of his exit. Sancho has been a flop of significant proportions since signing from Borussia Dortmund in 2021 for £73m. He has just 12 goals and six assists in 83 games for United over four years and has not come close to matching the potential shown at Dortmund. HAVE YOUR SAY! What does the future hold for Jadon Sancho? Comment below. He was absolutely electric in Germany, where he managed 40 goals and 47 assists in 118 appearances for Dortmund, but has struggled to replicate that form in England. A potential move back to the Bundesliga was potentially on the cards with Bayer Leverkusen, until the club hired Erik ten Hag as manager to shut that door. Ten Hag fell out with Sancho over his apparent lack of effort in training at Carrington and it was the Dutchman who prompted his loan move back to Dortmund in January 2024. Join our new MAN UTD WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Manchester United content from Mirror Football. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
