Table of Contents
- Marathon Participation
- Helicopter Ride to the Match
- Charity Efforts
- Match Outcome
- Personal Motivation
- Future Matches
NOTHING could deter Shamrock Rovers manager Stephen Bradley on Sunday as he completed the Dublin Marathon, though he ultimately fell short of securing the Irish League title just hours later.
It was a day of contrasts for Bradley, 40, who aimed to achieve the perfect weekend by running 26.2 miles in the morning before taking a helicopter to what could have been a victorious setting in the afternoon .
Stephen Bradley completed the Dublin marathon before heading to Shamrock Rovers’ match against Derry CityCredit: Sportsfile
The former Rovers player took a helicopter with his assistant but couldn’t secure the league titleCredit: Sportsfile
Although his Rovers team was defeated by their closest rivals, Derry City, and had to delay their potential celebration, there was still a significant achievement to celebrate.
Bradley and his assistant, Glenn Cronin, made the effort to fly from Dublin to Derry, arriving at the match shortly after kickoff, demonstrating their commitment on an already remarkable day.
In this endeavor, the former Rovers player raised an impressive £40,000 for Oscar’s Kids Ireland, a charity that holds personal significance for him, and completed the marathon in an impressive time of three hours, 57 minutes, and 23 seconds .
Bradley and Cronin were airborne when their players began warming up, anxiously preparing for the 45-minute flight.
Upon landing, Bradley had missed the first 10 minutes of the match, and things took a turn for the worse as his team quickly fell behind. However, he had already achieved a significant victory earlier that day.
Brandon Fleming scored first for the hosts, followed by Sadou Diallo, who added a late second goal to postpone Rovers’ celebrations .
They only require one point to be crowned champions, but have lost their last four matches across all competitions , including three league games.
Rovers have suffered defeats in five of their last six matches, including their commitments in the Conference League, and they were also reduced to 10 men at Brandywell.
Despite all of Bradley’s efforts to conclude a unique Sunday on a high note, nothing could stop him from participating in the marathon.
His son, Josh, has faced challenges with leukaemia but received the all-clear earlier this year.
Oscar’s Kids Ireland provided invaluable support to Bradley and his family throughout this journey and inspired his marathon run.
Cronin’s daughter Aoife was diagnosed with soft tissue sarcoma, which was caught early and successfully treated.
Both managers had their children's names written on their arms during the race.
After the event, Bradley remarked: “When it got tough, we just kept thinking of them and looking at the names, understanding the reason behind our efforts.”
He continued: “The support was incredible. Honestly, this day is truly special.
“The people of Ireland who come out to support you make it remarkable, it really does.
“It helps you push through, and I’m grateful to everyone. We finished in under four hours, which was our goal.
“It was incredibly challenging, but the crowd was amazing, and the people along the route were fantastic.
“We’ve accomplished it; we’ve raised a significant amount of money, and that was our aim today.
“Oscar’s Kids is an incredible charity that assists families across the country during extremely tough times.
“This is a small way we can contribute to helping them, and it will greatly benefit children and families nationwide.”
Rovers have a chance to clinch the league title on Wednesday when they host Galway United. If they were to lose that match, they still have the cushion of facing Sligo Rovers on Saturday.
Galway currently sits seventh, and Sligo is in eighth place in a 10-team top division in Ireland.
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Eze Chidiebere Paul
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