March of the Day: Football stadium walking challenge for MND begins

Two ex-professional footballers are leading a 178-mile walk in aid of a motor neurone disease (MND) charity.

The March of the Day challenge, led by Stephen Darby and Marcus Stewart, set off from Bradford City's Valley Parade stadium on Friday morning.

The walk, in aid of the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, will visit 17 football stadiums before finishing at Anfield, the home of Liverpool FC, on Sunday.

Ex-Huddersfield striker Stewart, 51, said he was "excited" to get going.

He was diagnosed with MND in September 2022, four years after former Bradford defender Darby received his diagnosis.

Stewart, who also represented clubs including Ipswich and Sunderland during a 20-year professional career, said he was currently in a "good place".

"Things haven't progressed so quickly for me, I'm still able to walk, talk, do most things and live a pretty normal life," he said.

MND is a life-shortening, degenerative disease with no current cure.

According to the MND Association charity, it affects up to 5,000 adults in the UK at any one time.

Speaking on behalf of Darby, his former Bradford and Bolton Wanderers teammate Filipe Morais said: "Stephen is doing great in himself. Mentally, he is so, so strong.

"But it's a cruel disease that breaks you down very slowly and very cruelly."

A total of 600 people are expected to take part in the walk over the weekend, with an estimated 200 beginning the challenge at 09:00 GMT on Friday.

"It's hard to put into words what it's like being involved with the MND community," said Stewart.

"I'm doing the best I can to help everyone."

Lindsey Burrow, the wife of former Leeds Rhinos player Rob, who was diagnosed with MND in 2019, was among those on the start line with her husband.

"Just seeing the amount of people here to support it is incredible," she said.

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