This interview with Peterborough United FC fan and Free Kicks Foundation spokesman Steve Thorpe takes place on the road as fans walk from Peterborough to The Nottingham Forest ground in aid of the Free Kicks Foundation charity. Broadcast at 08:25 on Friday 19th March 2010 in Paul Stainton’s BBC Peterborough Breakfast Show.
PS: Now as we mentioned earlier, POSH travel to Nottingham Forest tomorrow hoping for another victory. Hopefully keep those slim safety dreams alive. Some fans though, set off yesterday morning, a group of them walking as we mentioned yesterday, to raise money for the Free Kicks charity. They set off from London Road around eleven, we had an update, I got a text about five o’clock saying they were in Empingham, and I believe they stayed overnight at Barnsdale Lodge. Steve Thorpe is from Free Kicks. Good morning Steve.
ST: Morning Paul.
PS: You’ve lost the POSH mascot though, haven’t you? The rabbit’s gone somewhere.
ST: Yes, he bowed out around Burghley House. He had feet full of blisters, so he had to retire. He got myxomatosis I think.
PS: (Laughter) Where are you at the moment then? You over-nighted at Barnsdale Lodge. Are you walking now?
ST: We’re walking now. We’ve just started again. We’re walking past Rutland Water now towards Oakham. So, we’re all feeling good, a few aches and pains and odd blisters, but apart from that we’re all feeling good. It’s a lovely morning out here.
PS: Yes. Beautiful walking past Rutland Water, as well down to Oakham.
ST: It is.
PS: Now, you over-nighted at Barnsdale Lodge. Did you partake in any of the local hostelries?
ST: We went down to the bar for a little bit, and had a couple of drinks, but then we were all off to bed by about half nine. It was a long day yesterday. We knew we’d got a long day ahead today.
PS: Has it taken a toll? Are you aching?
ST: There’s a few aching joints, I think. But muscle-wise, it’s not too bad. I think we all had long baths last night, relax the muscles. But there’s a few aching joints, especially the older ones like Nilesh.
PS: Of course. And there’s not a lot on him. bless him.
ST: That’s right. (Laughter)
PS: He must be down to the bone. So what’s the plan today then? You’re on the way to Oakham. Where do you hope to be by teatime?
ST: We’re hoping to be within .. to leave ourselves about ten miles maximum tomorrow, so we’ll be between Melton and Nottingham, maybe around a village called Hickling that I think is about ten miles from Nottingham. That’s the plan today, to walk through Oakham, past Melton, and then we go off to the side roads towards Nottingham that way.
PS: Yes. Be careful around Hickling Pastures, it’s a bit posh up there. You might get arrested.
ST: It is yes. We survived being in the restaurant this morning. There were all the people in their business suits, we all turned up in our walking boots, and hiking jackets, and shorts, looking a bit rough.
PS: (Laughter) You brought the tone down slightly.
ST: That’s right. We did earn a tenner off somebody there. Somebody asked what we were doing, and gave us a tenner towards the cause.
PS: Brilliant stuff. And how much have you raised so far? Have you got an update for us?
ST: I think the Just Giving total is over two thousand one hundred now, and then we’ve got at least nine hundred on sponsor forms, so we’re over three thousand at the moment.
PS: Brilliant stuff. And just remind people where they go to donate, if they possibly can. a quid, two quid, five quid whatever.
ST: Yes it’s the Just Giving site, and it’s justgiving dot com, Free Kicks Posh to Forest Walk.
PS: Brilliant stuff. And on the subject of the game, victory is going to be very tricky at a fantastic Nottingham Forest team tomorrow.
ST: No chance. Forest are due a home defeat, so I think tomorrow is the day. We had Chris Whelpdale and Lee Frecklington see us off yesterday, so I hope we can inspire them to win for us tomorrow.
PS: More chance of Aaron McLean’s brother having a top ten hit. (Laughter) Oh he has. Right. Well good luck. Enjoy Oakham. Are you stopping off for lunch in Oakham?
ST: We’ll be past Oakham by lunchtime. We’ll find somewhere, one of the little villages, to have a nice little stop for lunchtime, I think.
PS: You’re going to walk past the Grain Store, are you?
ST: I think we’ll have to. I don’t think it’ll be open by the time we get there. We’d be banging on the door.
PS: I’ll believe it when I see it. Keep sending us the pictures, we’ll keep putting them on our Facebook as well. Steve Thorpe from the Free Kicks Foundation. A great charity that takes poorly kids out for days out, terminally ill kids, under-priveleged kids, and gives them a day out to remember, raising money. So far they’ve raised two thousand one hundred and fifty two pounds on their Just Giving site. They’ve got donations that take them over three grand as well. If you do want to help out, it’s www.justgiving.com/FreeKicksPoshtoForestwalk They always do something a bit different, and God Bless them. Good luck to them.