A group of Crystal Palace fans will finish the season the hard way by cycling the 83 miles from Selhurst Park to St Mary’s stadium for the final Premier League match against Southampton.
The 20 fans will leave Selhurst Park at 5.30am on Sunday, alongside a group of Saints fans, in a charity challenge organised by the Crystal Palace FC Foundation and the Saints Foundation.
The group, whose ages range from early 20s to late 60s, will be instantly recognisable in their customised Crystal Palace cycling jerseys and will be presented to the crowd at half-time.
They will be raising money for Mind in Croydon, one of the Mayor of Croydon’s chosen charities, and for the Foundation’s Powerchair Football Team.
One of the elder statesmen of the group is Steve Way, who is a part of the Foundation’s "Fitter Fans" initiative - a 10-week programme teaching men over 40 the importance of regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle.
He said: “What inspires a 58-year-old man to cycle to train in wind, rain, sun and snow to get fit enough to cycle from Selhurst Park to Southampton?
"It’s not just a love of my football club, but a thank you to the CPFC Foundation for the inspirational work it does.
“I’ve benefited in the past from the Fitter Fans programme and it’s a honour to be raising funds for the Foundation by trying to get to Southampton before everyone else has gone home.”
They need to make it to St Mary’s by 3pm to be at the match in time for kick-off.
Former Crystal Palace striker Andrew Johnson, now a club ambassador, has sent a message of support to the riders: “Good luck to all of you for your bike ride on Sunday! The CPFC Foundation is a wonderful cause!”
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