Marathon helicopter ride to get Rovers coach to match

A man in a black sports coat with a green and white football crest waves to the camera. There is a black helicopter behind him on a grass field. There are also trees in the background. Inpho

Stephen Bradley arrived at the Brandywell 10 minutes after kick-off

Auryn Cox
BBC News NI

Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley wasn't going to let a marathon get in the way of missing his team's fixture against Derry City.

After running the Dublin Marathon on Sunday morning to raise money for cancer charity Oscar's Kids Ireland, he managed to make the game at the Brandywell stadium in Londonderry.

Bradley and his assistant coach Glenn Cronin, who also ran the marathon, took a helicopter to ensure they would be there to see their team in action.

They were still in the air when the team took to the pitch to warm up before the match got underway at 15:00 GMT.

Bradley and Cronin made the 45-minute journey, arriving pitch side 10 minutes after kick-off.

This X post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on X
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip X post by David Sneyd

Allow X content?

This article contains content provided by X. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read X’s cookie policy and privacy policy before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.

Bradley's reason for running the marathon were personal.

And the charity he had chosen to run on behalf was a cause close to his own heart.

Oscar's Kids Ireland supported the family while his son, Josh, was battling leukaemia.

Josh, nine, got the all-clear earlier this year.

"There is nothing that will stop me running that marathon for them," he told Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

A man in a black coat and black trousers, both of which feature a green and white football crest, is walking along the side line of a football pitch

Stephen Bradley began managing Shamrock Rovers in 2016

While Bradley scored success off the pitch, completing the marathon in 3 hours, 57 minutes and 37 seconds, his team weren't so lucky.

His side needed just a point to secure the League of Ireland Premier Division title, but suffered a 2-1 loss to Derry City after going down to 10 men.

The 40-year-old former Shamrock Rovers player began managing the team in 2016.

Under his leadership the Dublin side have dominated domestic football in recent years.

Rovers, Ireland's most successful club, have now lost three league games in a row but can still seal a fifth title in six years with a point against Galway United on Wednesday.

If they fail to do so they will get another chance in their final game against Sligo Rovers next weekend.

Related topics