HAMPTON FOOTBALL FAN WALKS TO ALL 92 FOOTBALL CLUBS TO HIGHLIGHT THEIR COMMUNITY WORK
Lifelong Wimbledon fan and Hampton resident Xavier Wiggins is nearing the end of an historic and remarkable walk to all 92 league grounds in England and Wales to highlight the work that football clubs are doing off the field and away from the spotlight within their communities.
The 54-year-old, who is also co-founder of Dons Local Action Group is bidding to become the first person to walk 2000 miles to all 92 grounds in just 92 days. He has already raised over £32.000.
To date, he has visited 71 grounds and has clocked up over 1500-miles. Now, he is preparing to visit each of the 14 clubs in London, all the time shining a light on the work the clubs are doing.
The 2,000-mile walk is raising funds and awareness for the many inspiring Football for Good initiatives including:
- Street Soccer Foundation – using football to help young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness find hope, housing, and purpose
- Sport Local Action’s Sports Bank – helping remove financial barriers that stop young people playing sport
“Have a look at what your foundation does,” says Xavier whose odyssey began in Swansea on August 2 and is due to end in Plymouth on November 1.
“It’s pretty special to have so many grounds that are bursting at the seams with the number of people that want to watch but within those 14 it’s not just about the clubs and the grounds. It’s the impact that their club charities are creating in our city.”
He is also collecting stories from every club he visits, contributing to a Football for Good archive in partnership with the National Football Museum, documenting how clubs across England and Wales are driving positive change.
“For example, West Ham are tackling knife crime while QPR have a mental health programme. But these are just two: every club has a reach into the community. It’s eye-watering what they are up to and London needs to know what football is doing,” he says.
Xavier will take in the seven Premier League grounds as well as Wembley, where he watched Wimbledon’s ‘Crazy Gang’ win the 1988 FA Cup final, but the highlight will be his walk to the new Plough Lane which he and many other fans helped to build – Xavier co-led the Plough Lane Bond, which raised £5.5 million to preserve AFC Wimbledon’s status as a fan-owned club. It will be the 83rd stadium that he chalks off.
“The Plough Lane of today wasn’t built by a money man, it wasn’t built by a corporate,” he says. “It was built by the fans with blood sweat and tears. It wasn’t easy. So, when we walk into that stadium we all feel that we helped to put it there.
“And that is an incredible feeling that the community has built a stadium. It’s a prime example of the football community being a force for good.”
Walk92 and Xavier’s record-breaking bid has received national and regional coverage on TV, on radio and online. This includes BBC Radio 5Live, ITV News, BBC West Midlands Today, NWE Mail, BBC Radio Leicester, Wigan Today, BBC Three Counties Radio, Telegraph & Argus, Lancashire Telegraph, BBC Radio Humberside, BBC Radio Lincolnshire, BBC Radio Suffolk and bbc.co.uk
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c05ev37m764o
He has five days in London, which started in the south-easton Wednesday with Charlton and Millwall. Today (Thursday)he has three Premier League clubs in the shape of West Ham, Tottenham and Arsenal as well as Orient.
That is followed on Friday by a march north to Barnet, Brentford and Wembley leaving his beloved west London for Saturday when he visits Queen’s Park Rangers, Chelsea and Fulham in close proximity before striding down to SW19.
“It’s been really lovely speaking to organisations that really care about the impact they are delivering and are truly appreciative of the walk,” he says. “It’s been quite humbling to hear what each club is doing to support their community.”
“Football changes lives. Whether it’s keeping young people off the streets, supporting mental health, or offering a sense of purpose – I’ve seen its impact first-hand.
“Increasing recognition that this walk has been about shining a light on the great work that is going on. Long may that continue.”
How to Get Involved
* Sponsor the walk: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/walk92-1/start
* Walk a leg for a cause you care about – solo, with friends, or alongside Xavier
Contact: hello@walk92.com | Full schedule at walk92.com