Archived News from March 2006
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DAVID ON THE ROAD TO HELP CHELSEA
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DAVID ON THE ROAD TO HELP CHELSEA
Evening Post, 02 March 2006 GUY WALKER More than 3,000 Mansfield Town fans are expected at Meadow Lane for the derby against Notts County on Saturday. Most will take the train or drive down the A60. But David Cross, 27, will be much longer on the road. He will walk 17 miles from the Stags' Field Mill ground to raise money for the Chelsea Barsby fund, setting off at 9.30am to make sure he arrives for the 3pm kick-off. The fund is named after Stags fan Chelsea, eight, who was diagnosed at ten months with an eye cancer called bilateral retinoblastoma. She has had numerous operations and treatments, and has lost the use of one eye and a lot of vision in the other. The fund has helped Chelsea as well as other youngsters with the condition. It bought special equipment for Mapplewells Primary School, Sutton-in-Ashfield, so Chelsea can keep up in lessons. The walk is also a training exercise - in May, Mr Cross goes on a ten-day charity trek in Jordan. Mr Cross said: "I didn't have any target when I set out. I put a message on a fans forum saying what I was planning and loads of people have put on messages offering donations. The total is about £300 so far. "When you consider the average attendance at Field Mill is only about 3,000, the amount of Stags fans who go to the away derby is amazing. It's a really big day out for us. "But I think the score will probably be nil-nil. "It will be a scrappy and not very exciting game. County can't score and we're not very good away. "It will be a long way to walk if that's the case." Chelsea's dad, Neil Barsby, 37, said: "David has done quite a lot for the campaign and we are indebted to him, particularly because he's always bringing up new ideas to raise money. "Chelsea's condition has stabilised although she still obviously has to live with the visual impairment. "So the campaign has now widened to help other children in Notts and around the country with similar conditions. "One of the main things we try to do is supply equipment so children can stay in mainstream schools. All the family will be going to the game. We're football mad and are all Stags fans. "I think it will be an easy three points for us." For more information on the campaign visit the website visit http://www.chelseabarsby campaign.org.uk. |
Latest | March 2006