Would you stroll the gap of five consecutive marathons simply to make it to your team’s last away fixture of the season, even after that they had been relegated?
Well that’s precisely what one Oxford United fan is doing, as he takes on a 125-mile (201km) trek to Millwall’s dwelling floor, The Den, throughout simply five days.
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Neil McManus, from Drayton, is taking up the hunt to increase cash for the charity Fight Bladder Cancer after he was identified with the illness in December 2024.
Now cancer-free, the 47-year-old U’s superfan mentioned he determined to have a go on the problem after “a couple of bottles of red wine” on New Year’s Eve.
“I’m kind of regretting my life choices,” he joked, earlier than including: “I’m really trying to raise awareness of bladder cancer and its symptoms.”
Neil set off from The Kassam earlier this week [Neil McManus]
Neil mentioned: “In December 2024 I was diagnosed out of the blue with bladder cancer, and was very, very much surprised.”
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He described the information as “life-changing” as he had been “expecting to roll in and have a nice normal Christmas”.
“But thankfully it was picked up really early, and it really is a must that if you’ve got any of the symptoms you get picked up early and it’s really, really treatable.
“Twelve months on, I’m now cancer-free.”
Neil said he was hoping to raise awareness of bladder cancer [Neil McManus]
The Chinnor-based Fight Bladder Cancer charity supports patients and their families, raises awareness and campaigns for research.
“[They] reached out to me once I was identified,” Neil explained.
“I needed to do one thing for them to coincide with the top of the season. Last 12 months, Oxford United had been at Swansea although and I wasn’t certain if I might stroll fairly that far.”
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The U’s head to Millwall on Saturday with their relegation from the Championship already sealed, but Neil will be hoping for a chance to put his feet up and watch his beloved team finish the season with a flourish.