Football Rovers and Yeovil set to play 'Match for Marcus'

REGARDLESS of whether you take any notice of it or wait until the real thing starts, preseason is an important time for every football club and players across the country are now back in session.

- Dan HARGRAVES

Friendlies have begun and, despite any attempts from marketing teams to add glitz and glam to fixtures, most are just standard fitness exercises. There are, however, the odd exceptions.

On Saturday afternoon, Bristol Rovers will partake in a very important friendly against fellow Yeovil Town dedicated to an extremely special man - Marcus Stewart.

The former striker, who represented both Rovers and Yeovil among others during an illustrious playing career, is a local hero best known for his goalscoring feats. More recently though, the Bristolian has become one of the biggest fundraisers for motor neurone disease (MND) following his own diagnosis in 2022.

A great deal of his work as been with the Darby Rimmer Foundation, founded by Chris Rimmer and former Bradford and Liverpool footballer Stephen Darby. Both were diagnosed with the disease and Rimmer sadly died in April.

MND is a progressive, life-shortening illness that affects the brain and spinal cord. There remains no cure.

Gloucestershire legend David 'Syd' Lawrence recently died after a yearlong battle with the disease, while former England and Leeds Rhinos rugby player Rob Burrow lost his fight against MND last year.

Despite his busy schedule, Stewart kindly found time in his busy schedule to speak to the Bristol Post ahead of this weekend's friendly at Huish Park. Naturally, the first question put to the Rovers legend was, 'how are you?...

"Yeah, I'm doing alright," he said. "I can't use my left arm or hand. My right arm is probably going that way. But in terms of voice and legs and strength, I'm pretty good.

"A year down the line, I could use my right arm, whereas now I probably can't as much as I would like to. Slow progression in my right arm, otherwise all good."