Marathon ride over for Ryan

By Hugo Varley

AT one point this season, a certain bike has been outside every single National League South stadium. This unassuming two-wheeler has got quite a story to tell too, having been Ryan O’Connell’s means of achieving a superb feat in aid of Prostate Cancer UK.

The 40-year-old has spent most Saturday mornings over the past eight months cycling to a different National League South stadium for a match from his Crawley base, documenting each leg of the journey on his YouTube channel, The Cycling Researcher.

O’Connell completed the challenge at the weekend, cruising into Bath City’s Twerton Park ahead of the Romans’ clash with Oxford City, where he was greeted by jubilant friends, and family – and a few well-earned drinks!

True to form, the longest trip was put off until the very last game of the season with a cramp inducing 140 miles separating O’Connell’s home and the historic city of Bath.

The avid Non-League fan originally set out with the aim of raising £1,000 over the course of the campaign. However, the generosity of clubs and supporters alike has seen the target regularly updated with more than £3,000 now donated so far.

“It’s genuinely been such a heart-warming experience to see how kind and generous people have been at every game I’ve cycled to,” O’Connell told The NLP.

“It makes you remember just how brilliant the football community can be. In particular, Dulwich Hamlet and Dorking Wanderers were really great to me and deserve special mentions but I’m so thankful to everyone.

“We reached our initial target very quickly, I asked Prostate Cancer UK if that meant I could stop early but they said no!

“I’m not a big cycler by any means and I’ve got a pretty old and heavy bike, so it’s certainly been a shock to the system.”

When it comes to knowledge of National League South, O’Connell is something of a footballing aficionado, given his day job as a researcher for the popular computer game Football Manager.

“I’m used to making the trips to these grounds but am usually in a nice and warm car,” he joked. “When people find out what I do it often leads to some funny interactions. I will always remember Callum Willmoth at Hungerford Town berating me for being too harsh with his in-game stats!”

While Spring is now upon us, O’Connell looks back to shivering his way through a tough winter, battling ice, fog – and an awful lot of rain!

“There are one or two sections that were particularly gruelling,” he added. “I got absolutely drenched on my way to Tonbridge on Boxing Day, which slightly dampened my Christmas cheer and I think I’ve only just regained the feeling in my fingers from a freezing ride up to Braintree a month or two ago. That said, I’m quite sad it’s over. At times it’s been absolutely magical, and it has been for such a brilliant cause.”

Donations can be made via https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/thecyclingresearcher

PEDAL POWER: Ryan O’Connell takes a well-earned rest after cycling to every National League South ground for charity

EBBS AND FLOWS: Ryan reaches Ebbsfleet’s Kuflink Stadium