COLCHESTER United Football Club’s owner and chairman, Robbie Cowling, will be cycling to the club’s first and last away league games of the season in aid of charity.

And he will also be running to every home game, at the Weston Homes Community Stadium, from his own house in Great Totham, near Tiptree – a distance of 14 miles.

While he is clocking up the miles, Mr Cowling will be aiming to raise money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity that is very dear to the Essex club.

Mr Cowling decided to take on this challenge, together with younger brother Richard, before the fixture list for the new season was published in mid-June.

They both might have had second thoughts, if they had known who the U’s would be playing for their first away league game – Preston – and their last away league fixture – Carlisle.

Mr Cowling said: “It’s a season-long challenge.

“We’re cycling to the first and last away league fixtures, and we made this commitment before the fixtures were drawn.

“On top of that, we are going to run from my house, in Great Totham, to every home league fixture, that’s 14 miles.

“For the first week we’ve got to cycle to Preston, and then when we get back we’ve got to run to the game against Portsmouth, and then run to the game against Sheffield (United).

“So it’s going to be a very tough first week.

“But it’s all for a really great cause, and if we’re finding it hard we’ll have to remember why we are doing it.

“We’ve raised nothing yet, but we will be hoping to raise a lot of money and to get people involved, and be aware. The players here in the past have got involved in the Teenage Cancer Trust. It’s a very important charity for the club.

“We had a young fan who died of cancer, and recently another young fan who died of leukaemia. I’m lucky enough to have three healthy children, and I can’t for the moment think how terrible it must be if they are not healthy.I couldn’t bear the thought of losing one of my children.”

Back in 2006, Colchester players were involved in a number of fundraising events, to raise money for the Cancer Teenage Trust, following the death of ardent U’s fan Emily Begg, aged 14.