FOOTBALL fanatics are swapping soccer kits for cycle gear when they pedal to Amsterdam’s AJAX stadium in support of Prostate Cancer UK.

The three Swindon men will join nearly 400 others on June 1 when they set out on the 142-mile route from London.

Alan Dawson, 53, a sales director from Oakhurst said: “The prospect of it is quite daunting and the atmosphere will be fantastic. There will be a real team effort.”

The cycle will start from London Olympic Stadium and from Barnsley in Yorkshire and riders will head for Harwich where they are due to catch a ferry to Holland.

The event is being run in conjunction with the English Football League and its becoming an annual event that grows each year.

Alan said: “We’ve never met each other, and we’re all riding under the banner of different football clubs, but the one thing that we have in common is a real desire to do what we can to support the charity in their efforts to bring an end to this awful disease that kills a man in the UK every 90 minutes.

“Between the three of us we’ll raise over £3,000 and as a total group the total is likely to be nearer £500k.

He added: “Having spent most of my adult life in Northampton and being a supporter of the football club, I’m riding with a group of staff from Sixfields, but the great thing is that through the wonders of technology we can all do it.”

Alan with meet the other two Swindon riders, Gary Parker, 47, from Haydon End and Rob Binstead 55 from Stratton for the first time at the start line.