A game of two halves? Try a game of FIVE DAYS!
Imagine running the equivalent of nine marathons back-to-back; imagine burning over 18,000 calories per day while only getting one or two hour intervals for a ‘quick nap’; imagine playing a full season of 90 minute fixtures within four days – that’s the Herculean task facing 36 hopeful World Record Breakers in North Edinburgh this weekend!
Friends, family and teammates of the late Falkirk defender Craig Gowans have been embarking on a gruelling training regime in preparation for their challenge to break the Guinness World Record for the longest 11-a-side football match.
The record was broken just weeks ago at St Mary’s – the 30,000 all-seater stadium and home of Southampton FC, but from the 4 – 8 July, Ainslie Park, home of The Spartans FC, will play host to one of the most ambitious of Guinness World Record attempts as the team aim to smash the current record.
The Craig Gowans Guinness World Record Match has support from a number of high-profile football associations and charities such as the Scottish Football Association, Football Aid, The Sick Kids Friends Foundation and the Hibernian Football Community.
A number of celebrities will also take part in the event, including ex-Rangers, Hibernian and Scotland boss, Alex McLeish. McLeish himself will be acting as a guest manager for the record attempt, while the current Scottish Cup holding manager, John Hughes, will also be there, showing his support.
Former teammates of Craig and current professional footballers, Scott Arfield and Thomas Scobbie have also lent their support to the World Record attempt.
The event has attracted much attention since the plan was formulated by the Craig Gowans Memorial Fund, a fund set up by Craig’s family and friends following his tragic death to ensure that his memory is used as a driving force for good.
Craig, a former Daniel Stewarts and Melville College pupil, died during training aged just 17, when a 20ft long pole used for transportable nets he was instructed to carry came into contact with power lines. He had signed his professional contract with the club just two weeks prior to the accident.
Since the charity was formed in April 2007, the fund has raised more than £80,000, supporting charities such as the Children’s Hospice Association Scotland (CHAS), the Sick Kids Friends Foundation (SKFF) and the Chesney Trust. The fund has also contributed towards building state-of-the-art educational facilities for children and young adults in places such as Malawi.
The two 18-man squads have already smashed their £37,000 fundraising target, inspired by Craig’s professional number at Falkirk, number 37, and the total continues to rise.
The money raised will be used to fund enhancements to the new Sick Kids hospital at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France, specifically a state-of-the-art Snoezelen room in Craig’s name. The space will be a calming room with multi-sensory equipment providing a relaxing and stimulating space for children with sensory impairments.
The Craig Gowans Guinness World Record Committee, made up of Craig’s school friends Jonny Wallace, Dario Alonzi, Eoghan Molloy and Chris O’Shea, are working hard to ensure the event is as successful as possible and raises as much awareness as possible.
Members of the public are invited to the kick-off of the world record attempt at 1pm tomorrow (Saturday 4 July) and to support the players throughout the match until the full time whistle on Wednesday (8 July).
Anyone who would like to check the progress of the World Record attempt can get in touch through the website – www.tcggwrm.org,
on Twitter – ♯CG37www.twitter.com/TCGGWRM37
and on Facebook –www.facebook.com/TCGGWRM
Donations can be made via JustGiving: www.justgiving.com/teams/worldrecord.
For further info contact Jonny Wallace at TCGGWRM37@gmail.com