Burnley fan’s walk goal for Rover Rachel (From This Is Lancashire)

Burnley fan’s walk goal for Rover Rachel

4:12pm Monday 6th September 2010 in

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A LIFELONG Burnley fan is going the extra mile today – to benefit young fans of rivals Blackburn Rovers.

Clarets supporter Olly Cutler, 32, is putting club allegiances to one side as he embarks on Alfred Wainwright’s famous ‘Coast-to-Coast’ walk in memory of work colleague Rachel Tucker, who died unexpectedly last December.

Rachel, 35, of Spenser Street, Padiham, was a passionate Rovers fan and Olly is looking to raise funds to buy tickets for local school pupils to attend Ewood Park throughout this season.

Turf Moor season-ticket holder of 17 seasons, Olly, from Skipton, worked with Rachel at Home Loan Management, Padiham.

He said: “Rachel was a really bubbly, larger-than-life character who lit up the room.

“You always knew she was in the office and it was always a source of amusement when we swapped football stories on a Monday morning.

“She was a single mother and left a young daughter Ebony, who is 14, so doing something for the younger generation ticks all the right boxes.

“As a season-ticket holder at Ewood Park, Rachel was a passionate Rovers supporter and her friends and family believe this to be a fitting tribute in her memory.”

To help distribute the tickets, Olly has enlisted the support of Rovers’ Community Trust.

As well as getting to watch a Premier League game at Ewood Park, the chosen children will also receive two hours of specialist match day coaching from the Trust’s community staff.

“Olly’s effort is going to provide a lot of pleasure for a lot of young people,” said Duncan Kinloch, head of strategy and planning at the Trust.

Olly hopes to complete the 200-mile walk in 11 days and raise £2,000.

To support him visit http://c2c.awardspace.co.uk