Simon Says: "I'm Walking To Barnsley"

<font color="#000066">http://www.pnefc.net/page/NewsDetail/0,,10362~1758190,00.html</font> </p>

<font color="#000066">Fans Team player Simon Rudkin has stunned his team-mates by setting off for Barnsley on Monday afternoon... on foot!

The former PNE.com 'Fan of the Week' and webmaster of the PNE Invincibles site has decided to take a gentle 71-mile stroll over hill and dale and through city and country in order to get to Tuesday night's game, and admits that he's doing it for nothing more than the satisfaction of completing the challenge - and taking in a nice view or two along the way.

&quot;It's a nice hill and a lovely piece of scenery which should look nice in the sunshine with any luck,&quot; he told PNE.com.&quot;The way I've worked this, I should hit the east side of Manchester as dawn breaks, so hopefully everything will look really good at that time.

&quot;I decided this was the game to do it because Doncaster is just that little bit further, and being a Saturday, we also had a Fans Team game, so obviously I was involved in that, and I realised it probably wasn't worth risking my fitness ahead of it! This, being a Tuesday night game, is perfect. Obviously there's going to be the element of walking through the night, but that's timed to take me through the centre of Manchester at a lively hour, so the whole timing and setup of everything is about as good as you're going to get on this kind of challenge.

&quot;It's a little bit shorter to takea route via Burnley and Hebden Bridge, but this route is flatter, taking the old Woodhead railway line which is now a cycle path.&quot;

Simon'strek takes him along the A6 through Bamber Bridge and Chorley before progressing to places like Blackrod and Walkden en route to hitting Manchester city centre, and will then take the aforementioned Woodhead Pass route to worm hisway into Barnsley. Setting off with a mild hangover, there can be fewer more refreshing methods of working off the after effects of the night before.

&quot;I've worked out the timings, and all being well, I should be at Oakwell by 4pm on Tuesday. I've built in a little bit of a buffer in case things don't go to plan, but I'm working on the basis of starting off doing around four miles an hour, working down to about two miles an hour and dragging my leg along by the end of it. I've done something similar before around Manchester when I was at university - that was about 55 miles so it's a good way of working out the timings.

&quot;I'm not taking any supplies because I don't see it as cheating to nip into shops. I'll probably stop every two or three hours for about twenty minutes at a time, obviously having meals at the right times, and then just keeping it steady, governed by what's open through the night in Manchester. Hopefully I can get a good breakfast before hitting the hills, because I'm at the mercy of what's up there!

&quot;There will be no sleeping involved on the way - I haven't got time for sleep! When you're a student, you just go out drinking all night - which, incidentally, I did last night - so this is no different, just without the drinking! Steve [Cowell]keeps us all fit so I should be ok to get through this.&quot;

The Fans Teamboss, SteveCowell, had a simple response when asked about his player's aspirations, admitting:

&quot;I think he's mad! There aren't many times when I'm rendered speechless, but this is one of them. He actually mentioned it to me as an idea a few weeks ago, but I got that feeling you get when somebody says something to you and you can't quite take it in.

&quot;On Sunday he told me he was definitely doing it, and hadn't actually told anyone else. We're setting off at 4pm on Tuesday, which, in theory, is the time that Simon is meant to be getting there, so I think our trip in the van is going to be a little bit easier than his!

&quot;Personally, I just think he's doing it so that he can get out of Fans Team training on Wednesday, using tiredness from this walk as his excuse! He's worked everything out so he's got every chance of doing it, but I'll be amazed if I see him in Barnsley. I'm expecting a phone call from him in the middle of the Pennines asking 'Steve, can you come and give me a lift?'.

&quot;Saying that, it's great that he'll be doing it in a Preston North End shirt, and I'm sure there will be plenty of people stopping him along the way and scratching their heads wanting to know what he's doing in the middle of nowhere.&quot;

One of the key questions that had to be asked was why he has opted to go it alone, and why he has kept the plans so quiet up to now. Simon admitted:

&quot;I didn't think it was worth suggesting to anyone else, because no-one else is going to want to do it, are they?!If you do it with anyone else, you've also got the hassle of all the forms to fill in and having to set up checkpoints, and things like that.

&quot;Part of the reason for keeping it quiet is because if it was raining, I wouldn't have done it, and I was also wanting to wait until I was absolutely sure I wanted to do it, so I didn't plan to do it for charity either. If anyone sees it and thinks 'what an idiot', I suppose they could always put some money into the memorial collections for Alan Kelly.

&quot;We'll see if it leads onto anything else. I suppose the other places you could walk to are the West Midlands clubs, but at around 80 miles they may be a little too far, whileBlackpool is too near!&quot;

Simon's tripback won't be anywhere near as tiring, though, as he plans to take a short stroll to Barnsley station (if his legs let him!) before catching a train back to Manchester Piccadilly and a short cab ride to take him home. He concludes:

&quot;Yes, it's a long way, and yes there's the train or the excellent coach offer to get you there, but this is by far the most environmentally friendly of getting myself there. As a trip, it's do-able, so why not?&quot;

Why not, indeed. Good luck Simon... we think you're going to need it!</font></p>

 

Walking through Manchester City Centre in the middle ...

.... of the night, alone, in a Preston North End shirt - good luck with that pal

 

Dan Says: "I'm Driving To Barnsley"

all 4 miles of it.

 

Yeah we've played against him

In our fans matches with Preston.

 

He'll do well to keep walking non-stop for 71 miles.

I did 40 miles over two days and it destroyed my feet.

 

How's he getting back

Just a thought like (dunno)

 

With his mates in their van at a guess nt

 

if he walking he probs will be knackerd for the game lol...

 

he plans to take a short stroll to Barnsley station (if his legs let him!)

<font color="#000066">before catching a train back to Manchester Piccadilly and a short cab ride to take him home.</font>