Footy pair do it for charity

GLAD TO BE HOME. . .Phill Higgins (left) and Andrew Durrans

MARATHON trekkers Phill Higgins and Andrew Durrans are nursing sore feet and aching limbs after walking more than 200 miles to a Latics match.

The intrepid pair volunteered in a drunken rash of valour to walk from the ground of the team drawn against Latics as their first fixture to raise money for charity.

But they hadn’t bargained on it being quite so far as Millwall’s south-east London ground.

“I must admit we thought about pulling out when we found out,” laughed Phill, of Polperro Close, Heyside.

The pair made Boundary Park for last Saturday’s home game against Millwall with 75 minutes to spare, after nine days of walking, and Phil admitted: “We are still feeling a bit delicate.”

He added: “We really enjoyed it. . . but we won’t be doing it again soon.”

Saturday’s final 16-mile walk began at Hayfield, when friends and family turned up in force to escort the pair back into Oldham.

The pair spent weeks training for the march, but, said Phill: “It didn’t prepare us for the dehydration and the effects of walking day after day. It was draining, and a lot harder than we thought it’d be.”

The pair have so far collected £1,700 in sponsorship and there’s more to come.

They will hand over the proceeds to Dr Kershaw’s Hospice, Royton, and people can still contribute to the cause by logging on to www.justgiving.com/millwalloldham

Phill and Andrew thanked the driver of their back-up car, donated by Vehicle Consultants of Chadderton, and their five sponsors, Tradwin Ltd, GoFixIt, Vital Products, Speedy Hire and Premier Inn.