Crowds greet footballers after 178-mile MND march

Marcus Stewart met people gathered at Portman Road

Hundreds of people gathered at a football club to welcome walkers finishing a 178-mile march (286km) to raise money for motor neurone disease (MND) research.

The event, organised by footballer Marcus Stewart, set off from Wembley Stadium on Friday morning and finished at Ipswich Town's Portman Road stadium at about 19:00 GMT on Sunday.

In a social media post, the club described the Town legend crossing the finish line with his wife Louise as "an incredible achievement".

Stewart, 52, played for teams including Ipswich, Huddersfield Town, Bristol Rovers and Bristol City before he was diagnosed with MND in 2022.

The finish line was Ipswich Town’s Portman Road home

Stewart and former Liverpool and Bradford City player Stephen Darby arranged March of the Day II, having raised £173,000 for Darby Rimmer MND Foundation with last year's event.

The foundation was set up by Darby and friend Chris Rimmer to raise money for research into MND and to support those living with it.

No cure has yet been found for the rare, degenerative condition that attacks nerves in the brain and spinal cord.

This year's walk, which will also benefit the charity, was broken down into 44 stages, of about four to five miles each (6.4 - 8km).

Among the guest walkers was Jamie Redknapp, who left Wembley on Friday with the walkers.

Ex-Ipswich players Terry Butcher, Russell Osman, Cole Skuse, Freddie Sears, Simon Milton and Gavin Johnson were also among those who took part.

The walkers started at Wembley Stadium