Derby County supporter Ed Wood has broken a Guinness World Record by visiting 93 football grounds in the shortest amount of time.
The 50-year-old from Otley, West Yorkshire, set about the challenge in August 2016, in an attempt to break the record whilst raising money for Prostate Cancer UK. He will complete the challenge on Saturday 18th February having visited the 72 EFL grounds, 20 Premier League stadiums, as well as Berwick Rangers.The current record stands at 237 days, but with the weekend’s match at Rochdale set to be 189 days since Ed kicked off his challenge, it will take some beating to complete it any faster.
As the Official Charity Partner of the EFL, Prostate Cancer UK work at the heart of the football fraternity alongside a host of fans, club employees and players who’ve been affected by a disease which kills one man every hour in the UK.
Throughout his challenge Ed met some of the people who have been affected by prostate cancer. He was shocked at some of the statistics and that it’s the most common cancer in men.
Ed said: “Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it, so I joined the fight to try and make a small difference to a big issue. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men but we don’t talk about it enough.
“I hope my world record attempt has captured the imagination of football fans across the country and although it’s coming to an end my involvement with charity won’t.
“Along the way I had the pleasure to meet some inspirational people, including men who’ve been affected by this awful disease.
“At Leyton Orient I was introduced to Errol McKellar, a survivor of prostate cancer, and an incredible guy who has done a lot for the charity. Meeting people like Errol bring the cause to the heart of this challenge and made all my late night drives and barmy challenges worth it.
“Prostate Cancer UK is a brilliant charity and I’m looking forward to doing more. I’ve already signed up for their Football to Amsterdam bike ride – cycling 145 miles over two days with 500 football fans and legends of the game, so from one challenge to the next, I’m not stopping yet!”
James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We’re delighted that Ed has used his Guinness World Record attempt to raise vital funds and awareness for Prostate Cancer UK.
“Many of the football clubs and supporters have already been incredibly supportive of Ed and his challenge which is a brilliant demonstration of Men United: people joining one team to fight a common opposition – prostate cancer.”
Many people are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It’s a huge issue that cannot be ignored. In 2017 one man an hour will die from prostate cancer in the UK. That’s 10,900 men this year. Based on current trends, if we ignore prostate cancer and do nothing, this number will rise to over 14,500 men a year by 2026.
Sponsor: Click here to sponsor Ed via the justgiving website
Click here to find out more about Prostate Cancer UK’s work in football