A TIRELESS group of footballers have netted a place in the Guinness Book of Records by staging the longest charity game of five-a-side.

In July 2019, Clitheroe charity worker Rick Blackburn assembled a team of 14 players who attempted to beat the previous best of 70 hours and three minutes.

And after an agonising 15 month wait - and countless painstaking checks - they finally received confirmation that they are the new record-holders with a time of 72 hours.

The group’s marathon effort raised more than £10,000 for the Foundation for Ribble Valley Families (FRVF) and Lucy’s Mission to Michigan – which was the chosen charity of Roefield leisure centre – the venue for the event.

Organiser Rick – who works for the FRVF said: “I’d been involved in a similar attempt back in 2015 and we missed out so to finally get the record was a great feeling.

“It was a long wait and an exhaustive process to prove we had done everything by the book but it all seemed worthwhile when the news came through.

“Seeing the name of the FRVF in the Guinness Book of Records is a great reward for all those involved, and hopefully it will be there for many years to come.

“But more important was the money we raised for a great cause.

“A big thanks to all the local businesses who gave us their backing, to Roefield Leisure for hosting, to all those who came to support and, of course, the players who put in such an amazing shift.”

The football marathon – which was part of Roefield’s summer festival of sport – began at 10am on a Thursday morning and ended exactly three days later.

Top goal scorers during the game were Jake Beake with 425, Rick on 353 and David Potts on 343.

Also involved were: James Blackburn, Joe Campbell, Stewart Hickling, Michael Milner, Nathan Peddie, Sam Rayson, James Scott, Chris Threlkeld, David Walmsley and Jon Wharam.