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Football fan walking 2,500 miles for good causes visits Harrogate Town

Friday, 12 September 2025 08:40

Xavier Wiggins visited Harrogate Town as part of his 92-day challenge.

Harrogate Town welcomed football supporter Xavier Wiggins last week as he continued his 2,500-mile walk to all 92 football league clubs in 92 days.

Wiggins, who arrived from Middlesbrough FC on day 42 of his trek, had already clocked up 920 miles, putting him nearly halfway through the challenge.

His mission is to raise awareness of the vital work carried out by football club community foundations across England and Wales.

He said:

“It’s the biggest challenge I’ve ever taken on, physically, mentally and emotionally.

“But this isn’t just about football. It’s about what football can do. I believe in the power of sport to unite people, tackle poverty, support those facing homelessness and create lasting change in communities.

"That’s what this walk is all about.”

During his Harrogate stop, Xavier met with Gareth Jones, Operations Manager at Harrogate Town Community Foundation, who gave him a glimpse into the club’s community programmes, including Talk Of The Town and Pitch Positive.

Gareth said:

“It was great to support Xavier on this leg of his journey. The weather on the day was horrible for him, so it was nice to sit down and chat about his journey, what other clubs are doing, and share the successes of our foundation.

"Being a relatively small foundation, we are really proud of the work that we do in the community, and we are grateful that Xavier has given us another platform to share it.”

The Walk92 challenge also supports causes such as the Dons Local Action Group, the Street Soccer Foundation, and the Sports Bank, all focused on helping people through sport and community engagement.

After a short rest in the Harrogate Town dugout, Wiggins stayed overnight before setting off towards Bradford, Leeds and then Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.

Once the walk is complete, his journey will be documented and showcased in the National Football Museum, highlighting the impact of football foundations nationwide — with Harrogate Town Community Foundation proudly included.

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