YOUNG footballers in Yate have taken to the road to raise money for their club.

Members, staff and volunteers at Nicholas FC have completed a Premiership challenge to travel the equivalent distance between all 92 league teams in England and Wales.

Almost all the 450 players at the club took part to cover the 2,859 miles in just three days.

Chairman Ian Reeves said: “This achievement really does make me proud but, what makes me proudest of all is the feeling of everyone coming together to do it.

“Virtually every manager, assistant and player pulled together to get this task done, but it didn’t stop there.

“Parents, brothers, sisters, relations and friends all played a vital part in the success and I feel that it really has made us a true club instead of a group of individual teams.”

Each of the 21 teams at St Nix was set the challenge of covering 100 miles and raising £100 towards club funds. Different teams chose to complete the distances in a variety of ways with the under 10 boys cycling around the club’s home ground on The Ridings in Chipping Sodbury, the ladies teams using spinning bikes at Yate Leisure Centre, the under 18s cycling to Chepstow and back and the men’s team cycling from Bath to Bristol.

Managers and coaches completed the remaining 759 miles on static bikes inside Tesco Extra in Yate on Saturday (February 22) when shoppers donated £178 towards the fundraising initiative. Funds are still being counted but the club looks set to have raised at least £2,100 to help keep all its teams running.

Added Mr Reeves: “ I can’t help but come to the conclusion that right now I probably feel the proudest I ever have to be a member of St Nicholas FC.

“When you think about the task we set ourselves it was a massive challenge and we must have been mad, 2,859 miles in three days. But we all pulled together as a club and not only reached that incredible target but surpassed it easily by completing a massive 2,993.2 miles - 134.2 miles more than we targeted.

“It will take us a couple of weeks to get the final amount we actually raised but you can be sure that it will go a long way in ensuring that St Nicholas FC keeps giving excitement and enjoyment to all of our members who play for our 21 teams.”