Dale fans Simon Hammonds and Peter Oliver recently represented Rochdale AFC at this year’s Football to Amsterdam challenge, in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.
They joined hundreds of riders in cycling 145-miles to Amsterdam, raising over £2,000 for the charity.
The duo set-off from Barnsley’s Oakwell Stadium and made their way to Hull where they boarded the ferry to Rotterdam. From here, they cycled onwards to Amsterdam where they finished outside the Amsterdam Arena, the home of Ajax.
Peter commented: “I have been a Rochdale Football Club Supporter for 15 years and regularly attend most home and away games.
“Over the years, I have sponsored some of the players, as well as sponsoring matches, so I have got to know the Communications and Marketing team quite well.
“When the club approached me and Simon to represent Team Rochdale at this event, we jumped at the chance. It allowed us to do something we love – cycling, on behalf of our other love – Rochdale Football
Club. I feel very privileged.
“I am very grateful to everyone who donated/ sponsored us, because we have raised a fantastic amount of money for a very worthy cause, which is superb.
“It was a well-organised event and a brilliant experience. Simon and I are going to do it again next year and we’re hoping to rally a few more people to do it with us!”
There’s still time to donate. To donate, visit the duo’s JustGiving Page > https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/team-rochdale
Peter has penned this blog about his time in the saddle…
On Friday 3rd June we set off from Barnsley Football Club to ride 75 miles to Hull to catch the overnight ferry. It was a very cold and windy day in Yorkshire and not too great for cycling, to be honest, but we made good time along the way.
Prostate Cancer UK arranged everything magnificently - the water stops, the lunch stop and the evening meal at Hull Kingston Rovers were all superb. We arrived in Hull about 4pm, I think, and after a hearty dinner and lots of football banter, we were transferred to the ferry for the overnight crossing to Rotterdam. The ferry crossing was fine because the sea was calm, and before you ask, the answer is no. We didn’t need to swim or get on static bikes to make up the miles lost on the ferry!
It was very misty when we arrived in Rotterdam on Saturday 4th June. We disembarked and collected our bikes form the car park. 128 of us in total, all representing different football clubs form around the UK, had set off from Barnsley.
Holland is fantastic for cycling. There are cycle lanes everywhere and it is virtually pan flat. We set off up the coast of Holland, took a short ferry ride across a river and then put the hammer down to get to the first lunch stop after 33miles. By the time we got there the mist had gone and the sun was burning down – 27 degrees – lovely. We then had a peloton of about 10 riders, all of whom were good road cyclists, so we gave it some welly up the Dutch coast. We met with the second group of cyclists who had set off from London, before getting on the ferry at Harwich. There was about 160 riders, mostly from the South of England.
We completed the ride at around 6pm after cycling into the Amsterdam Arena, taking the award for the first Northern group to finish the event.
Then it was across the road to our hotel for a big meal and then off into Amsterdam. I will stop there because what goes on tour stays on tour. We flew back to Manchester from Amsterdam on Sunday morning.
What brilliant experience!