From Runcorn2wembley

FINAL HURRAY

2010-05-31T02:08:00.000-07:00

With England and The FA now concentrating on the World Cup, the curtain has been finally drawn on the 2009/10 FA Cup.

This also means the fantastic charity adventure Runcorn2wembley is also at at end. After following the FA Cup from the very first round, the campaign was still collecting for Cancer Research despite not being allowed to the semi finals or final.

I managed to get to see every game (including replays) up the semi final, which makes the decision by the powers that be to not allow us to attend either semi or final very annoying.

Thank you must go to all the clubs we visited, their fans and the following people who came along to collect at the games. Rob Knowles, Sarah O'Brien, Chris O'Brien, Patrick O'Brien, Lawrence Whiston, Jonny Lewin, Andy James, John Horn, Chris Corse, Peter Bowers, Simon Baggeley, Neil Goodwin. If I've missed anyone off let me know.

A special mention to Chris Horner, someone who we didn't know before the campaign started, but offered to help us collect after reading about the campaign at the Guiseley v Kendal game. He then attended every game until the semi final.

The biggest thank you goes to everyone who has donated, it means so much to me and my brother Rob.

The fundraising and donations page is still open for people to donate and we hope the current total of £4,415.00 will continue to increase.

So as I now prepare for watching England go out of the World Cup in the usual dismal fashion in the 2nd round or quarter finals, I know following the FA Cup will have to wait. With mine and Sarah's first child due in July we've got more important things to think about.

I'll leave this blog on two points:

1 - Support your local non-league football clubs as they deserve you're hard earned cash much more than the bigger clubs.
2 - The FA and big clubs are only interested in football for what they can get out of it, financially. Unfortunately this means fans are meaningless in the modern era, but become more important the lower you go down the leagues.

SEASON FINALE

2010-05-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

So the 2009/10 FA Cup has finished for another season, but the charity campaign that followed it from the start wasn’t there at the finish.

Despite clocking up thousands of miles following the competition, Runcorn2wembley was unable to complete its mission at Wembley.

The campaign, organised by brothers Richard and Robert Knowles has raised almost £4,500 for Cancer Research, but is short of the £5,000 target.

The duo started the campaign in August at Runcorn Linnets, all in the name of their father who played for a number of amateur clubs but died from cancer when they were young children.

Despite pleas to local councils, the football clubs, police and The FA, Runcorn2wembley was unable to carry out the main fundraising activity of collecting from fans outside the ground before the game.

The campaign was unable to collect or attend the semi final or final and therefore has fallen short of the £5,000 target.

Richard, from Frodsham, said: “We’re delighted to have raised so much money for a cause close to our hearts, but disappointed with the reaction of various organisations to Runcor2wembley attending the semi finals and final at Wembley.

“Being denied permission to collect at Wembley has meant we’ve not reached our target, although credit must be given to the fans and clubs that have been very welcoming to Runcorn2wembley.”

Robert, from Southport, is hoping online donations will continue to boost the total. He said: “The FA Cup may be over for this season, but fans can still donate online.

“I’m not sure we’ll be doing this again for the foreseeable future as Richard and I will both be parents by the time next season’s competition beings.”

To donate simply go to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

FINAL PUSH FOR DONATIONS

2010-05-07T01:06:00.000-07:00

Well the FA Cup final is just over a week away and Runcorn2wembley appears to have run out of help from the organisations, clubs and the FA.

After receiving great support from fans and the non-league and small league clubs since the start and along the way, it's sad to keep hitting a brick wall when trying to get help from the big clubs, The FA, councils and police.

Football, and in particular the FA Cup, is meant to be about the fans, but money is now the only factor in professional football in this country.

After travelling over 3,000 miles to every corner of the country and meeting so many true fans of the game at places like Runcorn, Guiseley, Kendal and Nuneaton, how pathetic that clubs like Chelsea and Aston Villa either ignore emails and phone calls, or dismiss a charity campaign without even looking at the history of it.

Runcorn2wembley is in memory of our dad who died when Rob and I were still in primary school. As an amateur footballer with clubs like Marine, Runcorn and Skelmersdale, our dad played for the love of the game, not for the money it could give him.

I know he would be disgusted at how the game has developed since he played in the 1960s.

The 'investment' at clubs like Man City and Tottenham can make fans happy with the relative success it achieves, but at what cost? Who pays for the disgusting wages of £100k a week for people who don't care about the club they play for, like the fans do?

That's right - the fans pay for it in ticket costs and the various refreshments etc available at matches.

In the Premiership money is bringing the game to the brink of disaster. Just look at Portsmouth with debts of £138m and the real threat of the club folding.

This shows money is the only thing that matters to the people who run these clubs and campaigns like Runcorn2wembley will find it harder and harder to find support.

Which brings me on to the main point of this post, to ask for a final push for Runcorn2wembley to reach the target of £5,000 for Cancer Research. We need just over £750 to reach it.

Any donations will make such a huge difference to the help Cancer Research can give to finding solutions to the many cancer deaths every year.

I'll update next week and hope to have good news on the donation front.

FA CUP SEMI FINAL DAY

2010-04-10T01:10:00.000-07:00

So today is the first day of the FA Cup semi final weekend and it's the first game Runcorn2wembley will miss in this season's competition.

Everyone associated with the campaign raising money for Cancer Research is extremely disappointed not to be at the game, let alone not being allowed a collection.

But what's even more frustrating is the lack of coverage on the FA's website. Despite being told the FA website couldn't put up news about Runcorn2wembley, on Thursday I was notified via Twitter that a similar campaign following the FA Vase was on the website.

Click here to read about it. The cause is fantastic and I congratulate the fans for doing such a campaign. It's a shame the FA couldn't help with similar coverage for a charity campaign for it's most prized competition - The FA Cup.

The semi final Runcorn2wembley is still following is Aston Villa v Chelsea and both clubs have shown a similar stance to all other organisations with the campaign.

Chelsea has not replied to emails or phone calls while Aston Villa have refused to have anything to do with the campaign.

The FA commercial department has provided some help with the Facebook account and the promise of allowing a collection at the Trophy Tour when it goes to the two finalists. I thank them for the assistance they guys have given, it's much appreciated.

Unfortunately Brent Council, the Met Police and The FA have all refused to permit a collection for Runcorn2wembley at either the semi final or final.

And that coupled with no tickets being allocated and no help from the clubs involved means Runcorn2wembley is unlikely to reach the £5,000 target. We're just under £800 short.

Still we live in hope and a number of the fundraisers will donate a set fee for the 'ticket' price for today's semi-final and we hope the FA Cup Trophy Tour will raise funds too.

Finally I would like to thank everyone involved with the collecting and donating for the invaluable help.

A special thank you to all the non-league clubs, who's help has far outweighed that from League and Premiership clubs.

I will update this blog next week with news on the teams we've followed during the campaign, as many are involved with a fight to be promoted.

SEMI FINAL ANYONE?

2010-04-02T02:41:00.000-07:00

Well it's been an interesting journey from the start of the Runcorn2wembley campaign and we're now reached the semi final stage at Wembley.

Unfortunately no-one seems to be taking responsibility for giving permission to collect from fans before the Aston Villa v Chelsea game.

Brent Council, Wembley Stadium, The FA and the Met Police have all said they can't give permission. They've all mentioned one of the others as being the organisation to give the permission.

So with a week to go before the semi final Runcorn2wembley has no tickets, no collecting rights and no chance of reaching the £5,000 target. It's very frustrating as we're just £800 short.

What's most annoying is the 'big' clubs are providing no help at all to the campaign, completely the opposite to the smaller clubs earlier in the campaign.

Speaking of the 'helpful' clubs, Easter Monday provides an exciting clash for Guiseley FC as they face promotion rivals in the Unibond Premier League, Bradford Park Avenue.

I, along with a couple of other fundraisers, will hopefully be able to see the game and catch up with the people at Guiseley who helped us so much in the early stages of the campaign.

On a final note Runcorn2wembley will hopefully be at the FA Cup Trophy Tour when it visits Chelsea on Friday 9th April.

NO HELP FROM THE VILLA

2010-03-25T13:14:00.000-07:00

With the FA Cup semi final between Aston Villa and Chelsea just over two weeks away, it's a disappointed editor that writes this update on Runcorn2wembley.

Aston Villa are the team the campaign is following to Wembley after the 4-2 win at Reading in the quarter final.

I've had a couple of weeks break from the campaign as my partner Sarah and I have been having scans on our first baby. Sometimes your priorities can change a little, but I'm back on the case for Runcorn2wembley and battling for coverage and donations to reach the £5,000 target.

Despite communication with Aston Villa the club has declined requests for any help with informing Villa fans about the campaign.

The club supports The Acorns Children's Hospice and has refused to help Runcorn2wembley in any way.

The Acorns Children's Hospice is a fantastic organisation and I don't want Runcorn2wembley to distract from that at all. Therefore I understand why Aston Villa wouldn't want to give lots of backing to the campaign, but to offer nothing is very disappointing.

I've had more contact with The FA and hope to have a little more help from them for the semi-final.

On a final note I'll be missing the spring Frodsham Beer Festival to be at Wembley for the semi final so hope Runcorn2wembley will collect a big amount as we look go from the current total of £4,195.81 to the target of £5,000.

2010-03-06T00:38:00.000-08:00

After 11 rounds of the 2009/10 FA Cup, Runcorn2wembley takes to the round again this weekend for the quarter finals.

So far we've raised £4,118.31 for Cancer Research, just over £800 short of the £5,000 target.

The campaign will again be watching a Reading home game, this time against Aston Villa, which could be the Berkshire club's toughest game so far.

This will be the fourth Reading game we've followed after the match against Burnley and two versus West Brom.

A fantastic performance at The Hawthorns in the fifth round replay has given Reading a superb chance to reach Wembley.

Unfortunately Runcorn2wembley won't be collecting any money before the game on Sunday as the club has refused permission to do so.

To make matters worse Runcorn2wembley is having to pay for tickets AND membership to be able to watch the game. The club has put something in the matchday programme, but this happened in the first match we watched Reading and resulted in no donations.

Indeed when we were allowed to collect at the Reading v West Brom game we raised almost £900.

It's disappointing and frustrating the club has taken this stance and we can only hope football fans can go online to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles and donate.

I will be joined by only one other member of Runcorn2wembley at Reading v Aston Villa, because there's no collection, tickets prices, travel costs and the 400 mile (8 hour) round trip.

But we'll be there and after this game only two trips to Wembley remain, providing there's no replay!

See you tomorrow!

SIXTH ROUND PROSPECTS

2010-03-02T02:47:00.000-08:00

With just two rounds of the 2009/10 FA Cup to go before the final at Wembley, Runcorn2wembley is facing the possibility of having no pre-match collections for the rest of the campaign.

Reading has denied us permission to collect before the game against Aston Villa, as the club limits collections from a charity to one per season. The club has also refused to allow any tickets to be set aside for Runcorn2wembley, even if the volunteers pay for them.

This means we'll be lucky to get any tickets for the game, which would mean the campaign misses out on its first game in this season's FA Cup.

Having been to the previous 11 rounds of the competition, this would be very disappointing.

The only hope we have now collect another £800 to hit the £5,000 target for Cancer Research, is for fans to donate online - www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

More updates later this week as they come in.

REPLAY PROVIDES EXTRA EXCITEMENT

2010-02-26T05:27:00.000-08:00

A cracking FA Cup replay at The Hawthorns on Wednesday night overshadowed the darker side to the night.

The extra-time 3-2 victory for Reading was fully deserved as they showed much more incisive football in the penalty area than West Brom.

The negative side was not being able to collect for Runcorn2wembley which meant only £35 was raised for Cancer Research through the donation of tickets from West Brom to me and Chris Horner.
I can't understand why West Brom didn't allow a collection, but the campaign was grateful for the tickets.

West Brom scored very early (not as early as the first game's nine seconds) before Reading made it 1-1 after just nine minutes.

A howler by the Reading keeper gave West Brom a 2-1 lead early in the second half before a great goal in the third of four added minutes sent the tie into extra time.

Reading's winner was excellent and they could and should have had more. The fans singing at the end while the team threw their tops over the sea of stewards was a memorable scene.

So Runcorn2wembley now goes to Reading for the third time as the sixth round draw pits them against Aston Villa.

I'm talking to Reading about a collection and hope we can have one. With just over £800 left to reach the £5,000 target, a collection will probably take us over the target.

With the semi-finals at Wembley, permission to collect around the ground before the game is proving difficult, which is why I hope Reading allow the collection.

I'm also hoping Reading 107fm will feature the campaign again, as this resulted in many people donating.

Updates will appear on here. Don't forget the match is in just nine days on Sunday 7th March at 1.45pm.

MIXED REPLAY NEWS

2010-02-23T05:40:00.001-08:00

Just over 24 hours until the FA Cup fifth round replay between West Bromwich Albion and Reading.

Runcorn2wembley is unable to collect for Cancer Research before the game but will be attending thanks to the donation of five tickets by West Brom.

It's a huge blow to our collection target of £5,000 just ten days after collecting a record total for the campaign before the game at Reading. Almost £900 was donated by fans of both clubs taking the current total to £4,153.31.

If West Brom win and play Aston Villa in the quarter finals, a collection won't be allowed due to the proximity of the clubs. So everyone associated with Runcorn2wembley is hoping for either Crystal Palace or Reading to win.

If you would like to donate please go to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

The attending members of Runcorn2wembley will be highly visible in blue or white t-shirts at The Hawthorns tomorrow night.

See you there.

REPLAY OR NOT TO REPLAY

2010-02-20T02:15:00.000-08:00

Back to the league action this weekend, but the next FA Cup adventure for Runcorn2wembley is just a few days away.

On Wednesday 24th Feb we travel to The Hawthorns for the replay between Reading and West Bromwich Albion.

After the record breaking collection before the thrilling 2-2 draw at Reading last weekend, Runcorn2wembley is waiting for confirmation on whether we can collect on Wednesday.

I'm hopeful the discussions with West Brom will end in a positive outcome, but the main thing is we are able to collect at the quarter final game, as the winner will be at home.

Further donations have come on the website www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles and the target is getting closer and closer.

Thank you to everyone who has donated and I look forward to seeing the fans on Wednesday.

Runcorn2wembley will be in attendance at The Hawthorns although the numbers of people from the campaign is yet to be confirmed.

More updates on Monday.

REPLAY UPDATE

2010-02-16T05:40:00.000-08:00

The FA Cup fifth round replay between Reading and West Brom is a week tomorrow and at the moment Runcorn2wembley has been refused permission to collect at The Hawthorns.

This is obviously disappointing but we're not giving up just yet, particularly as the quarter finals will see the winners of the replay at home again. This could result in another refusal to collect.

The total for the collection is now 83% of the target of £5,000. Currently the total is £4,143.31.

I'm still in communication with West Brom and hope to be able to have a compromise sorted this week.

With only three rounds left, including the final, it's vital Runcorn2wembley is allowed to collect before the last few games to hit the target.

More updates throughout the week.

A BRILLIANT DAY

2010-02-14T02:05:00.000-08:00

Wow, and double wow! I'm still buzzing with excitement after yesterday's collection at Reading v West Brom in the FA Cup fifth round game.

Not only was it a classic FA Cup game, but Runcorn2wembley raised almost £900 from the fans of both clubs before the game, almost double the previous record amount.

Even celebrities managed to donate, with Chris Tarrant digging deep to one of the collectors.

The total of £875.58 has taken the amount raised for Cancer Research to an incredible £4,118.31, not far off the target of £5,000. Click here for the donation breakdown.

What's more, thanks to a late equaliser by West Brom, Runcorn2wembley now has another game to potentially collect at - the replay at West Brom.

I'll be in touch with West Brom tomorrow and see if this is possible. Either way Runcorn2wembley will be attending.

I was joined at Reading by my brother Rob, neighbour Neil Goodwin and friends Chris Corse, Chris Horner and John Horn. We suffered a few late drop outs due to family illnesses Valentine's Day.

Arriving at midday we quickly set about talking to fans at the main entrance to the complex near the away end.

I did a live interview with Dan Chisholm from Reading107fm about Runcorn2wembley and this had success with a number of fans donating after hearing the interview.

A trickle of fans became a flood and people we're even donating after the start of the game, despite Reading scoring after just 7 seconds!

We managed to see the rest of the goals, except I did miss the second goal while getting a pie!

In a match full of incident the four goals and two red cards served up a football feast for both sets of fans and the neutrals alike.

A big thank you must go to the collectors, fans of both clubs who donated, Reading107fm, Reading FC and West Brom FC for the help and support yesterday. Without it the collections wouldn't have reached the amount it did.

It was a very long day, leaving at 8.30am and arriving home at 9pm, but well worth it.

So on to the replay on Wednesday 24th February at The Hawthorns with a 7.45pm kick off. See you all there!

FIFTH ROUND PREVIEW

2010-02-12T01:47:00.000-08:00

Well another round of the FA Cup 2009/10 is upon us and for the second round in a row Runcorn2wembley is travelling down to Reading.

The Royals play Championship rivals West Brom, in the fifth round of the FA Cup, the winner progressing to the quarter finals.

With just three matches to go after this round, Runcorn2wembley is hoping for a big collection to help reach the target of £5,000 for Cancer Research.

Big thanks and much appreciation to Reading FC for allowing us to collect before the game against West Brom, particularly to Sara.

We're still looking for more helpers tomorrow so if you would like to volunteer just ask one of the collectors you see and I can supply buckets and t-shirt.

With the current total at almost £3,250, everyone associated with Runcorn2wembley is hoping to get near £4,000 after tomorrow.

So to everyone who's going, please dig deep and help us raise vital funds for Cancer Research.

The FA has promised to put information about the campaign on their Facebook page, so keep a look out on there.

More coverage is coming in of Runcorn2wembley. I'll update that next week with links.

Safe trip for all the fans tomorrow, see you at the Madejski from midday!

A BIG WEEK

2010-02-08T23:56:00.000-08:00

Another week has slipped by and it's FA Cup week again. This time we're focused on the fifth round of the competition as we aim to reach the target of £5,000 for Cancer Research.

The good news is Reading has given Runcorn2wembley permission to carry out the usual pre-match collection before the game against West Brom on Saturday.

As the total collected so far is now almost £3,250, everyone connected with Runcorn2wembley is hoping we collect enough to take us near the £4,000 mark.

I've spoken to The FA and hope to have the campaign featured on the organisation's Facebook page, and maybe website.

For the next round I'm hoping we can link up with the FA Cup Trophy Tour with one of the teams Runcorn2wembley is following.

A cold week beckons and I can't wait for the spring and summer weather for the last couple of rounds of this year's competition.

More updates later this week.

FOUR ROUNDS TO GO

2010-01-31T04:02:00.000-08:00

So with only four rounds (including the final) of the FA Cup to go, Runcorn2wembley is still short of the target of £5,000 for Cancer Research. To date we've raised just over £3,200.

In two of the last three rounds the campaign has been unable to collect at the grounds before a game.

At MK Dons we got over that predicament when the Asda store next door kindly allowed us to collect outside before the game.

Unfortunately, after being unable to collect at the Madejski Stadium, the major stores around the ground wouldn't allow a collection.

At least with MK Dons we were given up to eight tickets and we donated the value of the tickets to Runcorn2wembley.

But at Reading we were given two tickets, but had to buy two tickets and pay for car parking, meaning the donation to Runcorn2wembley by Reading was a minus figure. This was made even more frustrating as we had an 8-hour 420 mile round trip to watch the game.

Reading did put a small piece of editorial in the matchday programme. We did receive a donation from fans after the game, but this was from Burnley fans we chatted to outside the ground.

Fingers crossed we can have a collection of some kind at the next game, as we're off to Reading again, as they take on West Bromwich Albion.

The FA has offered to invite Runcorn2wembley to the trophy tour at some stage, although this is yet to be confirmed and the promise of a phone call last week failed to happen.

We're yet to hear back from Reading regarding the collection and any help at the next round.

Further updates later this week along with even more coverage.

ROYAL VISIT HALTS FUNDRAISING

2010-01-24T11:14:00.000-08:00

So the eleventh game in the epic journey by Runcorn2wembley took my brother Robert, myself and two other volunteers(Chris Corse and Chris Horner) to Reading, for the FA Cup fourth round game against Burnley.

Unfortunately the usual pre-match collection wasn't allowed by Reading due to another collection for Guide Dogs for the Blind, another worthy cause which we didn't want to disrupt.

So after a 210-mile, four hour drive, Robert and I met with the two Chris' and set about meeting and talking to the fans.

We started at the away end as Burnley had kindly put information on their website and we had met many fans at the previous round in Milton Keynes.

Indeed this has already proved successful with an online donation made from some of the fans we met. Thank you very much Anthony and team!

Reading did provide two complimentary tickets and programmes (that contained an article about the campaign), although we did have to pay for another two, the expensive muddy field car park and watch a pretty drab first half.

The second half was much better and just when we though we would be collecting at Turf Moor a week on Tuesday, Reading got the winner. On overall play it was probably deserved.

So the draw for the next round takes us back to Reading and we can only hope we can get nearer our target with a collection at the game against West Bromwich Albion.

More news on that here when it happens.

FOURTH ROUND EVE

2010-01-22T13:48:00.000-08:00

In just over twelve hours the 2009/10 FA Cup fourth round will kick off and Runcorn2wembley will be watching one of the two early games.

We'll be watching Reading v Burnley and hope to raise the profile of the campaign raising money for Cancer Research.

Unfortunately no collection is taking place and Reading have allocated two tickets for the four Runcorn2wembley fundraisers attending, meaning the football club and the campaign will both benefit from our attendance.

It's an unfortunate set of circumstances and I hope Reading will be able to help out if they beat Burnley and get a home draw in the fifth round.

Burnley have again put news of the campaign on the club's website, click here to read it.

Reading has yet to put a news article on it's website and we'll find out tomorrow if there's an article in the matchday programme. Fingers crossed.

So it's a 6am start for Robert and I tomorrow as we set out for the early kick off. Luckily the two other Runcorn2wembley attendees are coming from London and Marlow, a little closer!

As promised below are links for coverage this month. Just click on the media name.

Milton Keynes Citizen

Liverpool Echo

Chester Chronicle

Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 1

Runcorn and Widnes Weekly News 2

Reading Evening Post 1

Reading Evening Post 2

Southport Visitor

Ok it's off to bed. See you Royals and Clarets tomorrow!

ROYAL VISIT IS UP NEXT

2010-01-20T09:30:00.000-08:00

The FA Cup 4th round is just days away and the fundraising total for Runcorn2wembley is rising fast.

Donations to the Just Giving website (www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles) have taken the total to just under £3,200, so I'm hopeful of reaching the £5,000 target by the final at Wembley in May.

No rest for the Runcorn2wembley team though as it looks like this weekend could leave us without a collection at the game.

Reading host our current team Burnley at the Madejski Stadium for a 12.45pm ko, but the club had already given permission for another charity to collect at this game - The Guide Dogs for the Blind, a very worthy cause.

Having been faced with a similar situation at the two previous games at Milton Keynes Dons, I resorted to contacting the local businesses (Asda proved a huge help in the last round with a record collection), including B&Q and BHS, but have been turned down.

This leaves only one way of collecting money for the campaign, by Reading 'donating' tickets for the 4-6 Runcorn2wembley fundraisers; the fundraisers will then donate the value of the tickets to the collection. I'm still waiting for feedback from Reading about this.

Members of the team will be at Reading to continue the road to Wembley, but with now little hope of raising any money for the campaign, Cancer Research UK.

Therefore I'm appealing to anyone reading this to pass it on to friends and tell as many people as possible about the online donations page to boost it further.

Simply go to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

Meanwhile I'd like to thank the continued communication and help from everyone associated with Burnley FC, particularly Darren in the media department.

In other news The FA is looking to include Runcorn2wembley in the next Trophy Tour, though this is dependent on which team we'll be involved with next.

Coverage has featured in Chester, Runcorn, Milton Keynes, Reading and Liverpool media since Christmas. I'll link all that along with a preview on Friday.

NEW ROUND GIVES NEW CLUB

2010-01-03T08:36:00.000-08:00

And so it appears the glamour of the FA Cup third round is diminishing; judging by some of the attendances yesterday.

I include in that the the Runcorn2wembley was at yesterday, MK Dons v Burnley, where just over 11,000 turned up for a League 1 team at home to a Premiership side.

Compare that to the 6,000 fans taken by League 1 Carlisle to Everton and the 5,000 Luton fans travelling to Southampton?

Although it wasn't as bad as the paltry attendance at the Wigan v Hull game, just of 5,000 is shocking.

But for Runcorn2wembley the trip to StadiumMK proved the best so far as a record amount was collected from fans of MK Dons and Burnley, along with Asda customers. Thank you to everyone who stopped and donated.

I say Asda customers because the supermarket allowed us to collect (thank you to Gems) outside after permission from MK Dons to collect outside the stadium was denied for a second time. The club did however provide tickets for the eight Runcorn2Wembley fundraisers.

The total raised yesterday was £465.96, taking the grand total to £3,042.73. The total has been boosted by a donation from Ruby who read the story on Burnley's website - Thank you Ruby.

And so the FA Cup journey for Runcorn2wembley takes another turn and will now follow Premiership Burnley in to the fourth round. We'll shortly find out where it will be - Turf Moor or somewhere else.

Thank you must go to everyone at Burnley for their support and we look forward to joining you on the next round of the road to Wembley.

THIRD ROUND PREVIEW

2010-01-01T12:45:00.000-08:00

So the 2009-10 FA Cup reaches the 'glamour' of the third round, but for Runcorn2wembley this is the ninth round of our epic charity fundraising campaign, generating money for Cancer Research.

With over half the £5,000 target reached, the campaign will have eight collectors at the MK Dons v Burnley game tomorrow.

The current team we're following is MK Dons, although a Burnley win will change that and mean the path to Wembley will then tread the same steps as the Clarets.

Tomorrow's collectors will include Everton, Liverpool and Leeds United fans, all giving up a full day for collecting money for Cancer Research.

Fingers crossed the weather will be ok and the game will go ahead. With most of the collectors driving over 300 miles to the game I'm hoping for light traffic on the motorways.

The total raised will be on here on Sunday.

NEW YEAR AND NEW ROUND

2009-12-31T03:05:00.000-08:00

One more day to go of 2009 and just two more before the biggest round of the 2009-10 FA Cup campaign so far.

With over half the target of £5,000 raised so far with the Runcorn2wembley campaign, I'm hopeful 2010 will see the the target reached and indeed exceeded. All the money goes to Cancer Research.

Eight people, including myself, will be at the MK Dons v Burnley FA Cup third round game on Saturday 2nd January, hoping to beat the current record amount taken at a game.

The record currently stands at £460.76, raised by the fans at Nuneaton Town's first round game against Exeter City.

Over 16,000 people are expected at the game on Saturday and Runcorn2wembley is hoping for a good collection total.

Coverage has again been coming in for the campaign with the Liverpool Echo featuring an update in the paper and online. Click here to read it.

Burnley FC has also featured the campaign on the club's website. Click here for the article.

Runcorn2wembley has also featured in the letters column of the Lancashire Telegraph. Click here to read it.

The coverage from all forms of media has been excellent and I'm hoping for even more as 2010 edges closer.

I'll preview the game tomorrow or on the first day of 2010.

Happy New Year.

FESTIVE UPDATE

2009-12-23T00:58:00.000-08:00

This has been the longest break between FA Cup rounds so far this season with five weeks from the second round to the glitz and glamour of the third round.

So far the trail Runcorn2wembley has taken me and the fundraising team to Guiseley in Yorkshire, Kendal in Cumbria and Nuneaton in Warwickshire. Now we're currently following MK Dons and watched them defeat previous team Exeter City, in the second round.

A stiffer test awaits the Dons in the third round as Premiership newcomers Burnley visit.

Runcorn2wembley is raising money for Cancer Research UK by collecting money from fans attending each of the games we go to.

For the first time we we're unable to collect at MK Dons v Exeter City but despite MK Dons again not allowing collections to take place around the outside of stadium, we've been given permission by Milton Keynes Council to collect on the outskirts of the stadium.

We're still waiting for permission to collect by the Asda store by the ground but I'm hopeful this will be given.

So far the campaign has generated over £2,500 for Cancer Research UK with a target of £5,000.

Burnley have been very helpful with the campaign and thanks must go to the media department and the chief executive for their help.

Currently about seven collectors will be in Milton Keynes on Saturday 2nd January 2010 for the game and I hope we can collect the biggest total to date.

Fingers crossed this snowy and icy weather will fade away in time for the game.

Have a great Christmas and I'll post again before the New Year.

GREAT GAME BUT NO FUNDRAISING

2009-11-29T10:19:00.000-08:00

Yet another spectacular game of football was played in front of the Runcorn2wembley fundraising team as MK Dons narrowly defeated Exeter City 4-3 in the FA Cup second round.

The reward for an astonishing victory is a home tie against Premiership new-boys Burnley.

But it could easily have been Exeter City who hosted the Clarets as they came back from a 1-0 halt-time deficit to lead 3-1 with little more than 20 minutes remaining.

MK Dons' manager Paul Ince would point to an inspired double substitution as both players scored at vital times to secure victory.

The disappointing aspect of the game was the denial of MK Dons to allow the Runcorn2wembley team of volunteers to collect from the 4,800 fans at the game. The total money raised for Cancer Research UK still stands at just over £2,500, halfway to the target of £5,000.

Over ten people were prepared to give up their entire Saturday to come and collect, but with no collection just three of the team made the trip.
The trio, Runcorn2wembley founders Richard and Robert Knowles, and Chris Horner, were at least given free entry by MK Dons and a football signed by the MK Dons players. If anyone would like this ball please let me know and it will be yours for a donation to the fundraising campaign.

So onto the FA Cup third round and MK Dons at home to Burnley. I expect the StadiumMK will be full and will keep everything crossed that MK Dons will let the team collect.

I'll be contacting Burnley too and asking for their help in publicising this campaign.

I'd like to thank everyone associated with Exeter City for their valued support and hope they have a successful rest of the 2009/10 campaign.

Updates will appear here this week.

MK DONS V EXETER CITY PREVIEW

2009-11-26T23:53:00.001-08:00

Just under 24 hours before the next leg of the Runcorn2wembley fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK, and the weather is turning a little wintry - time for hat, cap, scarves and badges!

The usual collecting process that the campaign relies on the generate funds and meet the £5,000 target will not be in place for the game.

MK Dons have turned down our request of collecting outside the ground meaning the grand total of money raised for Cancer Research will be more or less the same as it is now, £2,500.

All members of the team are disappointed to be denied the chance to collect money at the biggest game of Runcorn2wembley's FA Cup run so far.

Everyone hopes fans of both MK Dons and Exeter City go online and donate something to the cause.

Let's not forget Exeter City fans helped in the biggest collection to date, in the previous round's game at Nuneaton Town. Nearly £500 was collected that day from just under 2,500 fans.

With over 8,000 expected at MK Dons a big total was expected to boost the overall total.

We respect MK Dons' decision and thank the club for giving us four free tickets to watch the game. The four members of Runcorn2wembley who attend will pay the value of the ticket to the campaign.

I hope the team will still be able to collect some money by going to The Beacon pub and the link path to the stadium from Asda.

Anyone who is at either site look out for us, we'll be dressed in blue or white t-shirt and have blue buckets. All donations will be gratefully received.

Coverage has been coming in again as we gear up for this FA Cup second round game. My local paper the Chester Chronicle has updated readers on the campaign's progress, I'll link this next week.

Big thanks to Peter and Andy at Exeter City for putting information about the campaign on the club's website, which I've already linked on here.

The club, via these two guys, have said they will help with any collection should Runcorn2wembley reach St James Park. Your support is appreciated.

Another big thank you to Joe and everyone at Exeter FM. Joe will be interviewing me on Saturday's afternoon programme at 1.30pm, so tune in!

I'm looking forward to the game and hope the best team progresses and gets the best tie possible in Sunday's FA Cup third round draw. Whoever wins we'll see you in the third round!

WE'RE ALL OFF TO MILTON KEYNES

2009-11-23T05:25:00.000-08:00

As November reaches its end 'Runcorn2wembley' strikes up again with a trip to Milton Keynes, raising money for Cancer Research UK.

The campaign, which is following the FA Cup from the start to finish, is now halfway to reaching its fundraising target of £5,000 with bigger crowds and games yet to come.

This weekend will be the biggest crowd by far, as I expect over 8,000 to watch MK Dons take on Exeter City for a place in the third round.

A potential money-spinning game in the next round will spur on both teams and their supporters.

Nerves will play a part but I hope it's a good game and the best team progresses.

The teams had contrasting games over the weekend, with the Grecians securing a good 3-1 win away at Stockport County and the Dons falling to an injury time defeat at Southend United.

Publicity has been very good on the Exeter City website (click here for link) and I'm sure Milton Keynes Dons will afford equal generosity.

I'm still to hear if they will grant permission for a collection before the game on Saturday, but I'm confident this will come through on the next couple of days.

As with all games the home team has been brilliant in allowing me and the team to collect from fans before during and after the game. This has helped move the total money raised to what it is.

Fingers-crossed MK Dons continue this goodwill.

More news later this week and information on everyone who'll be attending and collecting for 'Runcorn2wembley.

GRECIANS DOWN TOWN

2009-11-11T02:21:00.000-08:00

A combination of work, personal committments and being stuck on our beloved motorways has led to me not updating the blog as often over the last two weeks.

I hope this post will cover most of the activity that's happened. On to the latest game and the FA Cup first round clash between Nuneaton Town and League 1 side Exeter City.

Firstly a big thank you to my brother Rob, neighbour Johnny and new 'Runcorn2wembley' friend and collector, Chris Horner.

The game at Nuneaton on Saturday was a big effort as it was the biggest crowd of the campaign and everyone worked wonders to collect and speak to supporters about the collection.

I'd also like to thank everyone associated with both clubs for the support and coverage before the game, and the hospitality shown by everyone at Nuneaton Town.

Without any of this the collection and campaign wouldn't have continued on its successful journey.

The game itself was witnessed by many pessemistic Exeter City fans, nearly all convinced they would be beaten.

Their fears were eased after just three minutes and by half time a 4-0 lead was not unexpected given the pressure on Nuneaton's goal, but a little flattering.

The second half Nuneaton performed very well and with a bit more luck could have scored at least a couple of goals, which would have made for an interesting finale.

As it was Exeter held on and now face another away trip, this time to fellow League 1 side Milton Keynes Dons.

A crowd of almost 2,500 at Nuneaton gave the campaign a huge boost as we raised £460, taking the grand total to almost £2,500; halfway to the target total for Cancer Research UK.

The date and kick off time of the next game at Milton Keynes Dons is yet to be confirmed but I suspect it'll be on Saturday 28th November at 3pm.

I hope to have ten people helping with collections at the game to make the most of a crowd in excess of 8,000.

To donate go to www.justgiving.co.uk/Richard-Knowles

COVERAGE CONTINUES WITH NUNEATON

2009-11-03T13:19:00.000-08:00

As the next round of the FA Cup fast approaches, coverage of the FA Cup fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK continues to attract media coverage.

'Runcorn2Wembley' has taken in different areas of northern England and the Midlands, but has always been followed by local and regional media outlets.

Some media have followed the campaign from the start and continue to do so, even as it travels to areas beyond it's circulation range.

The Chester Chronicle (my local weekly newspaper) regularly updates its readers of the progress and I'm pleased the total continues to rise at each report.

The football clubs have also covered the campaign which is very helpful when collecting at games as fans already know why we're there.

Nuneaton Town are the latest club to do so; the coverage can be seen by clicking here

The latest Chester Chronicle coverage can be seen here

A non-league website has also covered 'Runcorn2wembley' as the Unibond League (to which Guiseley and Kendal Town play in) featured the campaign. To view that click here

I've also found new coverage on the Guiseley Advertiser; it can be found here

The coverage is great to spread the word about the campaign, but it will only succeed if people donate via the online donation site.

To donate or see how much has been raised so far go to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

A preview of the first round game between Nuneaton Town and Exeter City on Saturday will appear here on Friday.

DONATIONS REACH NEW LEVEL

2009-10-29T08:48:00.000-07:00

This week has been the best for the Runcorn2wembley fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

Not only have we been offered the 'collection' services of complete strangers, but the company I work for, Connect PR, has donated a huge amount to the campaign.

Further positive news has been the promotion of Runcorn2wembley via new media outlets, including the Nuneaton News and Nuneaton Town's website. More of this in my next post.

A big thank you to managing director, Hazel Crawford-Upton, and everyone else at Connect PR for the donation of £500 to the campaign, taking the total money raised to almost £2,000.

Hazel and everyone at Connect PR have been extremely generous with this donation and a simple thank you doesn't seem to do the donation justice.

I hope it inspires people to donate and carry out their own fundraising campaign for charity.

Fingers crossed some or all of my friends at Connect will come along to a game in the near future.

In other news, Lawrence and I were approached by a guy called Chris about the campaign before the Nuneaton v game.

Chris followed the FA Trophy last season and read about Runcorn2wembley after the Guiseley v Kendal match.

He's offered to help collections at future games and will be joining us at Nuneaton for the game against Exeter City a week on Saturday.

Thank you Chris, you're support and help is very much welcomed.

Finally thank you to Nuneaton Town FC for the continued support. I hope to help drum up publicity about the match and fundraising campaign all next week.

If you wish to donate simply click here

KENDAL RUN OUT OF LUCK

2009-10-25T10:20:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of a preview to the FA Cup 4th qualifying round between Nuneaton Town and Kendal Town yesterday.

I didn't return from Lisbon until very late on Friday night and needed to catch up on some sleep before driving to Nuneaton for the game.

Rob and Lawrence joined me at the game and we we're expecting a big crowd, the first one of over 500 for the fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

With an average of 50p per fan raised at the previous games we hoped for a good collection from the crowd, which turned out to be over 1,100.

The weather and traffic was terrible but calmed down after we arrived and sunshine again bathed the pitch for the game.

Liz and the rest of the staff we met at Nuneaton Town were very helpful and explained the best places to collect from.

The total money raised was £168.19; thank you very much to everyone who donated.

The Kendal Town fans were again in good song and mood, with another lot of generous donations from them before kick off.

As the match started fans were still flooding in, with a place in the FA Cup first round an obvious attraction.

Kendal were the more dominate side in the first half and should have been in front, with a couple of good chances spurned.

In the second half Nuneaton applied much more pressure and just when Kendal looked like they could snatch a late win, the home side pounced to secure the win and a possible draw against the likes of Leeds United and Norwich City.

A draw and replay would have been the fairer result but maybe Kendal's luck in the previous round and penalty save against Guiseley, was all their allocation for this year.

Today the draw was made and we'll be back again at Nuneaton, as they face a very tough game from League 1 side Exeter City.

I expect the ground will be full for the game and look forward to seeing everyone from Nuneaton again in less than two weeks.

Finally thank you to everyone associated with Kendal Town for the hospitality, friendliness and above all, generous donations. Good luck for the rest of the season and possible promotion.

BENFICA TO NUNEATON

2009-10-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

This week I'll be previewing the next round of the FA Cup a little later than usual.

The 'Runcorn2wembley' fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK takes a trip to the Midlands to watch Nuneaton Town take on current team, Kendal Town.

Between now and then I'll be spending a couple of days in Portugal watching Everton face Benfica in the Europa League.

I'm sure the atmosphere at the Stadium of Light will be a good warm up to the red hot atmosphere at Nuneaton on Saturday as both teams dream of the First Round of the FA Cup and a possible tie against Leeds United or Southampton.

More coverage has come in from the Wharfedale Observer and through the Guiseley AFC programme, helping to boost the recent matchday collections as people attending were aware of what we were there for.

There's also a mention in the replay programme from Kendal Town, and I'll be uploading that in time.

Have a great week and I'll have that review of Saturday's game, early on Saturday.

MINT CAKE ANYONE?

2009-10-15T01:20:00.000-07:00

So the first replay of the Runcorn2wembley fundraising campaign for Cancer Research took us to Cumbria and Kendal Town against Guiseley AFC.

The first game of the FA Cup Third Qualifying Round at Nethermoor was a closely fought battle in the first game at Nethermoor, ending with a 1-1 draw; another close game was predicted.

The fans and officials of both sides were brilliant and I can't thank everyone enough for the money donated, especially considering we only collected three days previously.

The total raised was £131.49 taking the total to £1,139.82, with another £100 donated recently yet to be added.

I was joined by Rob, Sarah and Lawrence for the trip and soon found myself answering a request for a live interview on BBC Radio Cumbria.

During the collections Rob was very kindly given a big bag of Kendal Mint Cake, a donation that was very well received. Thank you to whoever that was.

The game was played in a good spirit with some nervous passes and tough tackling. It appeared to be heading for extra time when Carl Osman (brother of Everton's Leon) headed Kendal into the lead after 78 minutes.

With a minute left Guiseley had the chance to take the game into extra time after being awarded a penalty.

But the well placed spot-kick was superbly saved and despite over five minutes of injury time it is Kendal Town that now travel to Nuneaton Town in just over a week.

The date and kick-off for the game has just been confirmed as Saturday 24th October at 3pm.

Both teams are now just one game away from the possibility of facing a League 1 or 2 club including Leeds United, Charlton Athletic and Southampton.

Look forward to seeing everyone at Liberty Way, Nuneaton next weekend, click here for directions.

LIGHTS ON FOR A REPLAY

2009-10-13T07:01:00.000-07:00

Tonight the 'Runcorn2wembley' fundraising campaign is off to a new county and new ground for its first replay.

The floodlights will be switched on at Lakeland Radio Stadium as Kendal Town face Guiseley AFC for the right to travel to Nuneaton Town FC in the 2009/10 FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round.

After an entertaining 1-1 draw at Guiseley on Saturday both teams will be confident of progressing to the next stage of the competition.

Will home advantage count? Who can react best to playing under the floodlights? We'll soon find out and I'll be joined by my brother Rob, partner Sarah and friend Lawrence as Runcorn2wembley heads to Cumbria.

I must say a big thank you to everyone associated with Kendal Town and Guiseley AFC for their brilliant support to this campaign.

The fans have also been terrific, not only in donating, but also with spreading the word through various fans forums.

Special mentions must got to Chelsea, Rachel and Phil.

Fingers crossed for a good game and best of luck to both sides.

Kick off is 7.45pm and directions click here. See you there.

A TRUE LEGEND

2009-10-11T09:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a fantastic day for many reasons. It was the fifth round of the Runcorn2Wembley fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

We raised over £200 for the first time at a match during the campaign, but best of all was meeting a true football legend, Sir Tom Finney.

Sir Tom is President of Kendal Town, the team that travelled to Guiseley AFC for the Third Qualifying Round of the 2009/10 FA Cup.

The big stars of today might be Beckham, Rooney and Gerrard, but Sir Tom Finney epitomised why fans loved football; and money didn't give players egos bigger than the game itself.

He was a working man, who also fought in the Second World War, playing the game with a smile on his face and was never booked in his entire career.

Meeting him and having our photograph taken is a memory that will stay with the me and the fundraising team for a very long time.

Back to the game itself and Kendal took an early lead after dominating the first 25 minutes. But a mistake at the back allowed Guiseley back in to the game and they soon equalised.

The second half saw Kendal defending manfully against a determined Guiseley, but despite creating a number of half chances, the home side were grateful to a wonderful save with less than five minutes left to keep them in the FA Cup.

That said, the header could and should have been put beyond the keeper.

I'd like to thank my brother Rob Knowles, girlfriend Sarah O'Brien and Sarah's brother Patrick for helping out yesterday. We raised a total of £201.28 taking the grand total to £1,108.33.

The result means Rob, Sarah and I travel to Kendal on Tuesday evening for the replay, when we find out which team we'll be following to the Fourth Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

Huge thanks to everyone at Guiseley, including Rachel and Phil, the fans who travelled with Kendal Town, and everyone who made meeting Sir Tom Finney possible.

Look forward to seeing you all and meeting new fans on Tuesday in Kendal. For directions click here

TO THE M62 AND BEYOND!

2009-10-10T00:35:00.000-07:00

Another Saturday and another round of the 2009/10 FA Cup. This week I'm off for my second visit to Unibond Premier League side Guiseley AFC.

The Yorkshire side take on Kendal Town, who lie three places above them in the league table, in the Third Qualifying Round.

After a 2-0 win over Bamber Bridge in the Second Qualifying Round, Guiseley will surely face a sterner test this time.

The game will be the fifth of the Runcorn2wembley campaign, raising money for Cancer Research UK.

To date the campaign has collated over £900, almost 20% of the £5,000 target figure.

This week I'll be joined again by Robert (my brother), while two new people will be coming along.

My girlfriend, Sarah, her sister Joanna join their brother Patrick (who was at Guiseley last time) as we hope to reach £1,000.

I'm looking forward to the game and meeting up with friends at Guiseley and making new ones from Kendal.

An update on the figure collated today will be tweeted later (richthemaster) so stay tuned or log on to www.twitter.com

A quick thank you to Lawrence Whiston for printing off the flyers at the last minute. A big help. Hopefully he'll be able to join up at future games as other commitments have meant he's been unable to come since the first two rounds.

Look forward to seeing you all at Nethermoor Park, kick off 3pm.

COVERAGE CONTINUES

2009-10-07T08:49:00.000-07:00

With another week nearly over the next round of the FA Cup fundraising marathon for Cancer Research UK is fast approaching.

The 'fifth' round of the Runcorn2wembley campaign is this weekend and we're back at Guiseley AFC to watch them take on Kendal Town.

The total money raised is now over £900 with the target of £1,000 after this round hopefully becoming a reality.

Recent coverage has also included coverage in the Southport Visiter though hopefully more will appear this week.

I'll put together a preview of this weekend's game on Friday so stay tuned.

To help reach the the £1,000 target by Sunday donate at www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

COVERAGE IS KEY

2009-10-03T01:12:00.000-07:00

After four rounds of the FA Cup, there is still a further ten rounds before the hallowed turf of the new Wembley Stadium welcomes the finalists of the 2009/10 competition.

For the current team I'm following, Guiseley AFC, this must seem a world away from the last match and win over Bamber Bridge.

While it is unlikely that Guiseley will reach the FA Cup Final, they will at least play a vital role in making the competition one of the world's best.

Without teams like Bamber Bridge, Guiseley and their next opponents, Kendal Town, the romance and history of the FA Cup would simply vanish. In a word, the smaller clubs, not the big ones, make the FA Cup what it is.

The next round (third qualifying) is just a week away and it promises to be a great game between Guiseley and Kendal Town. Both team occupy lofty positions in the Unibond Premier League so a lot is at stake.

I'm pleased to note further coverage in regional newspapers. The Chester Chronicle, Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Daily Post have continued with updates on the runcorn2wembley campaign, and now a new media outlet has covered it.

The Wharfedale Observer is now following the campaign's progress and I hope they continue to update people on the route it takes to Wembley.

To date the money raised is over £800; to donate just click here

Click on the relevant lnks below for the coverage:

Chester Chronicle

Wharfedale Observer

I'll be back with more thoughts early next week as we near the fifth round of the campaign.

Have a good weekend and may your football team win.

This weekend's fixtures for the clubs I've followed are:

Guiseley AFC V Woksop Town (LEAGUE)
Market Drayton Town v Bamber Bridge (FA TROPHY)
Squires Gate v Maine Road (LEAGUE)
Runcorn Linnets v St Helens Town (LEAGUE)

YORKSHIRE IS MY NEW HOME

2009-09-29T03:08:00.000-07:00

What a great day on Saturday; watching the 'fourth' (second qualifying) round of the FA Cup fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

Rob and I travelled to Guiseley from Southport, after a night out celebrating the birth of his son (my nephew) Isaac.

Arriving in Guiseley, to watch them face Bamber Bridge, I met with Chris and Patrick O'Brien and Patrick's friend, Simon Baggley. They were all helping with collections before, during and after the game.

The welcome from Guiseley AFC matched that of the previous clubs I'd been to (Runcorn Linnets, Bamber Bridge and Maine Road).

As we split into three groups the donations from the 300+ spectators was very generous and by kick off we'd collected around £30 in each bucket.

The match was played in brilliant warm sunshine and the crowd was entertained with some tactical play by both teams, eager to secure passage to the next round of the FA Cup.

With chances at a premium it was Guiseley who took one of two that came their way in the first half and were 1-0 up at the break.

The second half was again tactical with tiredness a factor as both teams created chances. Guiseley's greater pressure finally brought another goal, but Bamber Bridge can count themselves unlucky not to have scored at least a consolation.

All in all a good game and the runcorn2wembley campaign for Cancer Research UK will now follow Guiseley AFC.

After the game further donations were made and the grand total was £171.05, taking the overall total to over £800. Fingers crossed we can reach £1,000 by the next round.

The draw has been made and we'll make another trip to Yorkshire as Guiseley face fellow Unibond Premier League side Kendal Town.

With both team in the top 5 of the division is promises to be a fascinating clash.

The match is scheduled for Saturday 10th October so hope to see you there. More on the campaign later this week.

Don't forget it's not too late to donate, just click here.

ROUND 4 IN YORKSHIRE

2009-09-25T05:32:00.000-07:00

Another weekend and another 2009 FA Cup tie to go and see, this time venturing further then the previous three rounds put together.

Guiseley AFC is the destination for me, the fundraising team for Cancer Research UK and everyone associated with Bamber Bridge Football Club.

The Yorkshire club are a league above Bamber Bridge and my current team face a difficult task in making it to the next round.

This round is the Second Qualifying Round, with another two rounds after this before the League 1 and 2 clubs enter.

I'm looking forward to the game and what promises to be yet another glorious day for playing football. The weather has been very kind so far.

I'm sure some of you watched the coverage in Granada Reports last night (ITV's regional news programme for the north west). I've had some messages from people I don't know, as well as other messages of support.

The piece was edited by Andrew Lindsay and I must thank him for putting together a great report. Hopefully they'll be another in later rounds!

Back to this weekend and I'll be joined by my brother Rob and Sarah's (my girlfriend) dad and brother Pads. The team should number five as Pads' friend Simon is also looking to come along.

The crowd is expected to be near 400 so I'm hoping we can get a decent collection for the fund.

Thank you to the assistance from everyone at Guiseley AFC; I look forward to meeting you all tomorrow.

If anyone would like to join us at Guiseley, here's the address and directions - Guiseley AFC directions.

See you tomorrow.

COVERAGE & UPDATE

2009-09-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

A weekend of league football has now finished and we can now look forward to another round of the 2009/10 FA Cup.

The runcorn2wembley bandwagon faces a trip to Yorkshire on the back of further coverage in the north west media.

Focus this time was on my brother in his local weekly paper, the Southport Visitor. Click here to see the coverage.

Coverage is also expected in the Southport Champion on Wednesday, so look out for it!

In a surprise move my local MP for Weaver Vale, Mike Hall sent me a letter of support for the campaign, something I hope helps to raise the profile of runcorn2wembley and Cancer Research UK.

Thank you to Mike for his support, I hope you can make it to one of the games.
The total money raised has now reached nearly £650 with new offline donations, which I'll adding to the total this week.

A big thank you to everyone at my brother Rob's work (Southport Insurance Brokers) for donations and supporting him with this campaign.

I've just received confirmation that the next game at Guiseley AFC will kick off on Saturday 26th September at 3pm at Nethermoor Park. Click here for directions.

With opponents Bamber Bridge FC having scored 10 goals in the two previous rounds I'm sure it'll be a great game and advert for lower league football.

Guiseley, like Bamber Bridge, Runcorn Linnets and Maine Road have been brilliant in accepting the campaign to their ground and I look forward to meeting everyone.

Look forward to seeing you all there!

COVERAGE & DONATIONS CONTINUE

2009-09-16T01:41:00.001-07:00

As memories of the third round of the mammoth FA Cup fundraising campaign, Runcorn2wembley, slowly move away, coverage and donations continue to increase.

Thank you to everyone who has donated money for Cancer Research UK, the total has now reached over £600, with more coming in, click here to donate.

Coverage has now appeared on TV as Channel M covered the fundraising as part of footage of the FA Cup and Maine Road FC.

For those of you who haven't seen it, here's the link - Channel M coverage

There's also online coverage in the Runcorn Weekly News, click here , and Chester Chronicle, click here.

With further coverage projected in the Southport Visitor on Friday 18th Sept and next week in the Wharfedale Observer, the word is spreading fast.

Finally, looking ahead to the Second Qualifying Round (the campaign's fourth round) the trail leads to Yorkshire and Guiseley AFC.

I've spoken to Guiseley's chairman and gained permission to collect at the ground. Looking forward to meeting everyone up there, both friends from Bamber Bridge and everyone associated with Guiseley AFC.

More thoughts and updates this weekend.

BAMBER 'BRIDGE' TO ANOTHER ROUND

2009-09-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Another round in the 2009/10 FA Cup fundraising campaign and another fantastic game of football.

Maine Road hosted Bamber Bridge in the First Qualifying Round of the FA Cup.

The game was the third in the Runcorn2Wembley campaign raising money for Cancer Research UK.

Yet again the home side (Maine Road) welcomed me, my brother Robert and friend Andy James with open arms, allowing us full access to everywhere and everyone.

It was also good to see and be remembered by fans and officials of Bamber Bridge, after watching their previous round win against the original team I followed, Runcorn Linnets.

Back to the game and after an even first half Bamber Bridge took control in the second, securing a 4-1 win, against a spirited Maine Road. Had Maine Road scored from the first half's best chance, the result could have been different.

The draw took place today and Bamber Bridge (and the fundraising campaign) will now travel across the Pennines to Guiseley FC.

I'm looking forward to the game and it'll soon be upon us; the rounds are just two weeks apart at the moment.

I'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who donated at Maine Road, with a total of £102 collected from fans, players and backroom staff. The total raised is now getting towards £600.

A big thank you to everyone associated with Runcorn Linnets for their continued support despite the Linnets' exit form the competition.

Coverage of the last few weeks will be posted in another blog, but include Liverpool Echo, Chester Chronicle and Channel M (Manchester).

Thank you to everyone who has publicised this campaign, everyone who has donated and everyone who will donate in future.

Finally thanks to my brother Rob, and friends Lawrence and Andy for their help so far.

See you at Guiseley on 26th September.

NEXT STOP - MAINE ROAD

2009-09-12T04:39:00.000-07:00

So the next round of the FA Cup 2009/10 is upon us and the Runcorn2Wembley fundraising campaign takes to the road again, raising money for Cancer Research UK.

This time we're off to Manchester and the home of Maine Road FC to watch them take on last round's victors, Bamber Bridge.

Maine Road are in the same division as the team I started with, Runcorn Linnets, so they'll be in with a tough task today.

I'll be joined by my brother, Robert and neighbour Andy for today's game and hope the sunny weather attracts many fans to what promises to be a great game of football.

The fund total is now nearing £500 and I'm hoping people continue to donate generously to help reach the target.

Look forward to seeing everyone today.

BLAST FROM THE PAST

2009-09-07T05:50:00.000-07:00

As promised last week I've now scanned the Runcorn programme from 1961 featuring my dad, which has tied quite nicely in to the Runcorn2Wembley fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK.

My dad played for a number of north west sides including Marine, Burscough and Runcorn.
I'm sure he'd love the irony of me starting my campaign with Runcorn this year, something I know is fitting.

A huge thank you to Runcorn Linnets chairman, Derek Greenwood for sourcing the programme and opening up a window in my dad's football career years before I and my brother Robert were born.

I'd welcome any comments from people who either played with my dad or watched him play.

He was still playing regularly until his early 40s, and showed Rob and I the proper way to play the game.

I hope to see many old and new faces at Maine Road FC on Saturday for the FA Cup First Qualifying Round against Bamber Bridge.

Mathc preview to follow later this week.

MORE COVERAGE

2009-09-02T04:01:00.000-07:00

So as the donations for the FA Cup fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK tops £400 the media coverage continues to come flow.

National coverage has so far been limited to the Daily Sport, but I hope this will change as the campaign gains momentum.

The latest piece came in the Runcorn Herald & Post, which I thank Bucko for bringing with him to the game on Saturday.

Don't forget to tune in to the afternoon sports show on Halton Community Radio on Sunday 13th September when I'll be giving the latest on the campaign and where the journey will take me next.

The next game is at Maine Road as they take on Runcorn Linnets' conquerors Bamber Bridge.

I'm still waiting to hear back from Maine Road to confirm my attendance but hope to do so soon.

ROUND TWO - BAMBER BRIDGE V RUNCORN LINNETS

2009-08-30T01:18:00.000-07:00

So the unofficial second round of the FA Cup 2009/10 took place over the weekend of 28-30th August with 334 teams battling for a place in the First Qualifying Round.

My fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK took me north to the Irongate stadium, home of Bamber Bridge FC.

Having met so many people at the previous game at Runcorn Linnets, it was pleasing to see many of the same faces again; and also hear the non-stop chanting and amusing songs.

I was joined for this game by my brother, Robert, and friend Lawrence, both of whom helped massively with the matchday collection. Lawrence has set up a facebook group to keep everyone up-to-date on that site, thank you for doing that.

Thank you also to everyone at Bamber Bridge FC for their hospitality and donations, it was very much appreciated.

The weather was better than forecast, though still disappointing for August. The sun did shine on the game with the only rain being the shots on Runcorn Linnets' goal.

Two hat-tricks from Ryan Zico-Black and Phil Eastwood led Bamber Bridge to a flattering but deserved 6-0 victory over the Linnets.

I was disappointed not to see Runcorn Linnets go through, due to the kind and generous nature of the club and all its supporters. A big thank you to everyone, I wish you the best of luck for the rest of the season in the Vodkat League and hope to see you at future games this season.

I special mention to chairman Derek Greenwood, who managed to find a programme from 1961, which included a mention of my dad, who played for Runcorn while on loan from Marine. It's amazing how 48 years later I've linked up with an old club of my dad's; Derek, I can't thank you enough for finding the programme.

So on to the next round and after a 2-1 win over Vodkat League rivals Ramsbottom United, it'll be Maine Road who entertain Bamber Bridge in the First Qualifying Round on the weekend of 11-13th September. I'll confirm the date and ko time once confirmed.

I'm looking forward to meeting new people at Maine Road and also hope to see friends from Bamber Bridge there too.

Yesterday raised a total of £121.42 taking the total to almost £400 of the target of £5,000.

As usual you can donate at www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles or join the facebook group at

www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=264962860242&ref=nf

Look forward to seeing you all at Maine Road.

FA CUP 'SECOND' ROUND PREVIEW

2009-08-28T09:48:00.000-07:00

So the unofficial 'second' round of the 2009/10 FA Cup is upon us, just two weeks after the 'first' round.

Of course the round is actually called the Preliminary Round, but to those clubs, including the team I'm following Runcorn Linnets, this is the second round of the competition.

Already 203 teams have tasted defeat in the FA Cup, with a further 167 destined to fall at the Preliminary Round over the weekend.

Of course the Linnets will be hoping they can make it through to the next round and a trip to either Maine Road or Ramsbottom United, but standing in their way is tough opposition in the form of Bamber Bridge.

I'll be arriving at Irongate on Saturday at about 1.30pm with my brother Robert and friend Lawrence, to size up the atmosphere and hopefully collect as much money as possible on the way.

A big thank you to those who have already donated and a thank to those who are destined to donate as the campaign trundles on.

As always the money raised is going to a brilliant cause in Cancer Research UK, a charity close to my and many people's hearts.

Look forward to seeing you all tomorrow and hopefully the weather can football can be as good as the last round.

ALL GO FOR BAMBER BRIDGE

2009-08-26T00:48:00.000-07:00

Many thanks to Danny at Bamber Bridge FC for approving my attendance and collections for Cancer R esearch UK this Saturday at the FA Cup Preliminary Round between Bamber Bridge and Runcorn Linnets.

Kick-off is at 3pm and it would be great to many of the people I met at Runcorn and also meet new friends at Bamber Bridge.

For directions click here.

With interest about this campaign continuing to gather pace I'm hoping the publicity will help life the money raised for Cancer Research UK.

Thank you to all those who've donated so far and to anyone intending to donate further in to the campaign.

I'm hoping to have two people helping me collect on Saturday, including my brother Robert, who helped come up with this idea of raising money.

If you can't make it on Saturday and would still like to donate please go to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

Finally the next round will take the Runcorn2Wembley fundraising bandwagon to either Maine Road FC or Ramsbottom United FC, who play on Saturday.

If anyone from either of those clubs reads this could you contact me so I can arrange mt attendance at the game.

A SATURDAY OFF

2009-08-21T02:56:00.000-07:00

As more coverage and another invitation to a radio show come in, I'm looking forward to recovering after a hectic week. I'll just stick to going mountain biking in north Wales with my neighbours Jonny and Neil.

The Chester Chronicle have featured the campaign after Saturday's game at Runcorn Linnets and Halton Community Radio's Michael Scowcroft has invited me to be a guest on the Sunday Sports Show on 30th August.

Unfortunately I've had to decline the offer as I'm already committed to a rowing regatta in Ross-on-Wye to support my partner Sarah. I hope the chance to be a guest on a future show will happen.

A big thank you to everyone who has followed the blog and more importantly those who've donated to the campaign.

Thank you also to my friends and family who have supported me so far and also offered help for future games to collect from the ever growing crowds expected at games.

Cancer Research UK are kindly sending me more t-shirts, buckets and information materials to help with the collections.

I've also had help from my colleagues at work. So a big thank you to everyone at Connect PR and Connect Group.

As I always say donations are welcome at www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

Good luck to Runcorn Linnets this weekend in their game at Nelson and also Everton as they face a tricky trip to nearby Turf Moor.

MEDIA COVERAGE

2009-08-19T00:56:00.000-07:00

The excellent start to the FA Cup fundraising campaign for Cancer Research UK is now starting to attract good levels of media coverage throughout the north west.

The current levels culminated in a ten minute interview on the 'Football Show' on BBC Radio Merseyside last night. Thank you to Alan Jackson for the opportunity to publicise this campaign.

Coverage has also appeared in the Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Daily Post and Daily Sport (with only one pair of boobs on!).
Online coverage is on the websites of Liverpool Echo, Liverpool Daily Post and Runcorn Linnets FC (see below for links)

While coverage publicising the event is great, it's nothing without helping to increase the amount of money donated for Cancer Research UK.

Luckily the online total has already trebled since yesterday and I'm hoping it'll increase further as more people take interest my journey. Here it is for anyone wanting to contribute further to the total www.justgiving.com/richard-knowles

I also hope the coverage highlights the excellent football that is played at the lower levels of the game and entices people to go and watch their local club - you might be surprised by how entertaining the experience is!

I'm in contact with Bamber Bridge FC for help when the campaign reaches their Irongate Ground on Saturday 29th August.

I'll publish more details of the match between Bamber Bridge and Runcorn Linnets when I have them.

Online coverage is listed below:

www.liverpooldailypost.co.uk/liverpool-news/regional-news/2009/08/17/long-road-to-wembley-for-cheshire-football-fanatic-92534-24455645/

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2009/08/17/football-fanatic-launches-fund-raising-mission-to-wembley-by-watching-runcorn-linnets-win-100252-24455041/

www.runcornlinnetsfc.co.uk/news.asp?item=18082009162000

WHAT A GREAT KICK OFF TO THE CAMPAIGN

2009-08-17T09:28:00.000-07:00

Well my 'rocky road' to Wembley kicked off in style last weekend as I started the mammoth charity campaign to follow the FA Cup from the very first round right through to the final.

It started at Wincham Park, Northwich to watch my local side Runcorn Linnets face AFC Emley in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup.

I was joined by Lawrence Whiston and 196 supporters to watch a superb advert for the game of grass-roots football.

The Linnets triumphed 4-1 with both sides contributing greatly to a thoroughly absorbing FA Cup tie, with a number of excellent goals. For a match report click here.

I raised nearly £90 on the day for Cancer Research UK with further contributions promised as the campaign continues.

The journey now takes me north to Bamber Bridge near Preston for the Preliminary Round.

I can’t thank the people associated with Runcorn Linnets enough for their help with the start of this fundraising effort, in particular chairman Derek Greenwood, Steve Pritchard and Mark Buckley.

They, Linnets supporters and people associated with AFC Emley donated generously and helped make it a dream kick off.

I look forward to seeing them again at Bamber Bridge and making new friends along the way.

To donate simply go along to watch Runcorn Linnets play at Bamber Bridge on Saturday 29^th August or go online to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

I'll also be tweeting my updates through twitter at http://twitter.com/richthemaster

ONE MORE DAY TO GO

2009-08-14T02:47:00.000-07:00

The summer weather may have been and gone in one weekend in June, but football is now back up and running.

All leagues but the Premiership started last weekend and now this weekend a double-header of Premiership and FA Cup action is getting football fans across the country excited.

While Premiership and Championship teams won't be thinking about the FA Cup until January next year, hundreds of smaller clubs are just 24 hours away from their first taste of FA Cup football this season.

I'll be at Wincham Park, Northwich for the Extra Preliminary round cheering on Runcorn Linnets as they face AFC Emley for the right to play Bamber Bridge away on the next round.

I'm hoping to build up a following along the way and anyone interested in joining me for one or more games can either twitter me (richthemaster) or comment on my blog.

To donate either see me at the game(s) or go online to www.justgiving.co.uk/richard-knowles

Up the Linnets!

FA Cup week

2009-08-10T12:08:00.000-07:00

So it's finally arrived and this week sees the first round of the FA Cup 2009/10.

I'm looking forward to an exciting game as Runcorn Linnets play AFC Emley in the Extra Preliminary Round of the FA Cup at Wincham Park, Northwich.

I'm ready and waiting for the kick-off at 3pm and hoping for a home victory to give the Linnets a boost for the new season.

While Wembley may seem a log way off, over nine months in fact, it's a good chance for the players of both Runcorn and Emley to make a showcase for themselves and their club in the world's best cup competition.

I'll be arriving early for the game and hoping everyone can dig deep into their pockets and help me reach my total for Cancer Research UK.

To donate either meet me at Wincham Park, Northwich on Saturday or go to www.justgiving.com/richard-knowles.com

Kit fitting

2009-07-17T06:04:00.000-07:00

OK, so the kit from Cancer Research UK has come through and I've been trying everything on for size.

I've also been putting together the stickers, bucket and the other paraphernalia ready for the big kick-off.

Pictures of me will be done over the weekend and put on with my next post.

It's hard to believe we're in the middle of the summer with all this dismal weather about, but the Golf Open, Ashes series and rife football transfer speculation, it most defineitlye is!

Three weeks until the Football League season starts and four weeks until the Premiership and FA Cup.

Why not avoid the expensive Premiership ground and come along to see the non-league teams battle it out in the FA Cup; in fact come along to watch Runcorn Linnets play AFC Emley and help out with my collection at the same time.

For ease of use just click here to donate www.justgiving.com/richard-knowles

Game on

2009-07-12T02:59:00.000-07:00

The positive news continues for this fundraising campaign as the Board of Runcorn Linnets FC has approved my collecting in the ground, before, during and after the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round game against AFC Emley.

The game is planned for Saturday August 15th at 3pm although this is subject to confirmation. I'll confirm kick-off time on this blog, on my twitter (richthemaster) and it'll also be on the Linnets' website - click here

I'm picking up my fundraising kit from Cancer Research UK next week and will upload pictures to this blog once I have it.

I'm aiming to raise £5,000 from this campaign but will not limit it to that. To donate please go to here

Everything is now in place for the start of this campaign, just waiting for August 15th and we'll be away.

Keep tuned for more this week.

The game

2009-07-08T05:36:00.000-07:00

OK, I've picked the game to start my 10-month FA Cup fundraising campaign.

As luck would have it the team is the nearest team to my home in Frodsham.

I'll be following Runcorn Linnets FC as they take on AFC Emley on Sat 15 Aug at Wincham Park in the Extra Preliminary Round. Kick of is 3:00pm

For directions please click here

I'm now in contact with the charity (Cancer Research UK) about obtaining the correct equipment so I look like I'm officially collecting money. T-shirt and bucket arriving in the post next week.

The local council need to confirm if I need a licence to collect money outside the ground and I'm waiting for a reply to my request from Runcorn Linnets FC.

All donations welcome at www.justgiving.com/richard-knowles

From the beginning

2009-07-07T05:29:00.000-07:00

The planning

After four years of planning I'm finally getting round to following the FA Cup from the first round to the final - all in the name of charity (Cancer Research UK). By the first round I mean the Extra Preliminary Round, which involves 406 teams battling to get on the 'Road to Wembley'.

Without replays there is scheduled to be 14 games so there could be lots of travelling. I'll be paying my entry to each ground and hope to raise money by shaking my bucket in the crowd, before, during and after the game.

I'll be detailing my journey through this blog and twittering (richthemaster) my thoughts and plans. Anyone who wants to join me at one or more match please let me know.

To donate either give me the money direct, come to one of the games (details to follow) or go to www.justgiving.com/richard-knowles