The Bob Wilson Soccer Cycle visited the region yesterday, as part of Bob’s national tour to raise funds for his Willow Foundation children’s charity.
Former Arsenal and Scotland goalkeeper Bob is riding to every Premier League ground before finishing his odyssey at Hampden Park, Glasgow and yesterday’s leg of the marathon journey took in St Andrews, Villa Park, the Hawthorns and Molineux. In fact, so smoothly did everything go that Bob and his two co-riders, retired teacher Steve Cliffen and former GB international cyclist David Tweddell, arrived at Villa Park ahead of both schedule and several of the welcoming committee who were due to add moral support. However, after a round of media interviews they had all arrived and the cyclists were waved off by a group that included former Villa manager Ron Atkinson and BBC Midlands Today reporter Giles Latcham, who caused a few wry comments by sporting an Arsenal shirt inside the ground.
During the day Bob also met up with former footballing colleagues such as ex-Blues player Bon Hatton and ex-Albion star Brendan Batson, who began his career with Bob at Highbury, as well as Wolves manager Mick McCarthy before cycling to Stoke, where he and his fellow riders will set off again tomorrow.
To donate visit www.bobwilsonsoccercycle.com and for more details of the Willow Foundation, www.willowfoundation.org.uk.