Bristol City Legend Scott Murray Tackles Great Weston Ride

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Posted Thursday 4th April 2013 –

On Sunday 21st July Bristol City legend Scott Murray will swap his football kit for a bit of lycra and a Prostate Cancer UK cycling jersey as he takes on the 56-mile Great Weston Ride for the first time. Scott,
who played 426 games and scored over 90 goals in two spells at Bristol City, is a newcomer to cycling but has been persuaded by his close friend Nick Baines to saddle up and tackle this increasingly-popular challenge event in the Summer.

scott-murray
Scott Murray, Dan McKimm and Nick Baines gearing up to tackle the Great Weston Ride

The Great Weston Ride starts in Bristol, just around the corner from City’s Ashton Gate Stadium, and it takes riders on a fabulous route through the Mendips and across the Somerset Levels before finishing 56 miles later on the seafront in Weston-super-Mare.

Up to 1,000 riders are expected to take part this year and, like Scott, a large number will be relative newcomers to cycling, embarking on their first major long-distance ride.

Scott commented: “My pal Nick did the Great Weston Ride last year and tells me it’s a fantastic event and a great challenge, so in a moment of madness I said I’d join him this year. There was also the mention of a pint or two of Ashton Press at the finish, and I think that helped! So I’m really looking forward to it, although a slight problem at the moment is that I don’t actually even have a bike – but hopefully we can sort something out on that front!”

Nick, from Weston-super-Mare, added: “Everyone knows Scott’s up for a challenge and he didn’t take a lot of persuading to give this a go. We’re going to be riding in support of Prostate Cancer UK, which happens to be the Football League’s official charity this year, and we’re hoping that lots of football fans will join us and help to raise as much money as possible for the charity. My dad was successfully treated for prostate cancer a few years ago so I know first-hand how it can affect people. We’ve set up a Team BAM7 fundraising page and people are more than welcome to sign up and join our team, and hopefully we can do some good at the same time as having a great day out. It’s going to be great fun, and I can’t wait to see how Scott handles it!”

2013 sees the fourth running of the Great Weston Ride and it is fast becoming a ‘must-do’ West Country challenge event, with the added attraction of the seafront finish in Weston providing friends and family with the perfect opportunity to welcome riders across the line and then enjoy a day out together.

To complete the ‘West Country’ feel, there will be a Butcombe Brewery bar waiting at the finish area to help riders to celebrate their achievement, and participants will once again be treated to the finest-quality hot food, courtesy of North Somerset premium meat producers field&flower.

And on the fundraising front, while there is no obligation on participants to fundraise, to date riders have raised well over £80,000 for a range of different charities and good causes, and the organisers are hoping to see that figure increase dramatically this year with so many people taking part.

Further information, and details on how to enter, can be found at www.greatwestonride.com and if you would like to join and/or support Scott and Nick there’s more information at www.virginmoneygiving.com/team/BAM7.