Pompey fan in 125-mile cycle ride to restore war memorial

Lifelong Pompey supporter Matthew Fuller is finishing his 125-mile journey at Portsmouth’s historic dockyard as a tribute to family who served in the navy.

Starting in his hometown of Staunton in Gloucestershire, Matthew, a parish councillor, will set out with fellow councillor Graham Bruce to Hambledon, before going solo on his way towards HMS Victory.

Matthew, 49, is aiming to raise £1,000 to put towards the restoration of Staunton village’s war memorial.

Father-of-two Matthew said: ‘We want to ensure that those who have gone before us will be remembered for another 100 years.’

With a strong military presence in his family, Matthew is determined to raise funds.

He said: ‘Without the upkeep of the memorial, the younger generation will see it as unimportant and in time will regard what it stands for as unimportant too.’

Matthew’s cycle is on July 2 with a stop-off at his beloved Fratton Park on his way to the dockyard.

He said: ‘For the final leg of my journey, I will be wearing my Pompey Pals football shirt to acknowledge the role of the Park in the enlistment of the 14th and 15th battalions for the Hampshire Regiment.’