KIND-HEARTED Chris Drake is set to cycle from London to Amsterdam to raise money for his football coach friend who died of prostate cancer.
Drake, 61, is taking part in the Football to Amsterdam cycling challenge in honour of Chris Allen, a former amateur player and manager, who spent his final years in charge of Buckinghamshire side Homer Green FC.
Spread over two days, riders cycle 160 miles on June 10 and 11, starting at the Olympic Park London, and finishing at the Johan Cruyff Arena, home of Ajax.
“I’m personally taking part in memory of a very good footballing mate of mine who sadly passed away last November after battling against cancer for many years”, Drake said.
Remarkably, Drake, a grandfather of seven, will be taking part in the event despite undergoing a hip replacement in 2019.
He will be joined by a number of professional and amateur footballers through his job as an engineer for BAM Construction which built the Manchester City Football Academy.
“If it wasn’t for Covid and my hip replacement, I would taken part a few years before,” Drake said.
“My training has been going well and so I’m notching up the miles, the furthest ride so far being from Abbots Langley to Milton Keynes and back, via the Grand Union Canal, which is around 70 miles.”
Thanks to the generosity of his BAM colleagues, Drake has already raised around £1,500 via his “Just Giving” page.
“The money is for a great cause,” he adds.
“It helps us remember Chris and all he’s done for young footballers, and can only help improve the fight against this very common disease which affects many older men.”
You can sponsor Chris by visiting www.just giving.com/fundraising/ chris-drake14
