Burnley best friends, Hughie Higginson and Freddie Xavi, put football rivalries aside this week by visiting Blackburn Rovers' football stadium to raise money for children’s cancer charities.

The Clarets supporters made their way to Blackburn’s Ewood Park on Tuesday (15 March) to complete a 1km charity run around the pitch at half time.

This was the fifth stadium on their 100km challenge which will see them tour the UK to run 1km around 92 Premier League and English Football League clubs, raising money for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity as well as other oncology wards around the country.

Lancashire Telegraph: Hughie and Freddie at Blackburn's Ewood Park. (Photo: Keiron Higginson)Hughie and Freddie at Blackburn's Ewood Park. (Photo: Keiron Higginson)

BBC Lancashire’s breakfast presenter, Graham Liver, joined them on their run around the pitch and also spoke to them about the experience for his radio show.

 

 

On the radio show, Graham asked Hughie: “There is the rivalry, obviously, between Burnley and Blackburn.

"But this is above that, isn’t it? This is two mates raising money for children’s hospitals."

Hughie said: “It just shows that cancer has no colours and there is no point in a rivalry when we are talking about cancer, especially children’s cancer, when we are raising money for children’s hospitals.

“A rivalry goes into insignificance when you think about it.

“I want to thank all the fans for making us feel at home. I know Burnley’s Turf Moor is really our home but it was a really great atmosphere tonight.”

On Tuesday night, Hughie and Freddie raised more than £1,800 for various children’s cancer charities, adding to the £181,000 total they have raised on their Just Giving page.

In the past, they have run around Burnley, Walsall, Birmingham, Bolton football stadiums joined by famous faces, such as Paddy McGuinness and Jordan North, on the way.

Hughie, 11, was diagnosed with ALL (acute lymphoblastic leukaemia) in 2020 and began urgent treatment at the children’s hospital.

Freddie ran 2km every day in the 50 days leading up to Christmas Day 2020, raising over  £200,000 for Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity.

They won a Pride Of Britain award and were announced as 2021’s Good Morning Britain Young Fundraisers.

To donate to Hughie and Freddie’s fundraising visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/freddie-xavi or text FRIENDSHIP to 70450 to donate £5. Texts cost £5 plus one standard rate message.