WOKING football club manager Alan Dowson is set to run 20 laps of the Goldsworth Park Lake to raise money for the local children’s football club.

Dowse – who contracted coronavirus in April and feared the worst when he was taken to hospital – has recovered to tackle 15 miles around the lake as an individual challenge, and aims to raise £2,000 for Goldsworth Park Rangers.

The club has more than 600 boys and girls as members and is run by volunteers. Each year they hold an end-of-season tournament involving around 2,000 children. Last year, the summer football festival was attended by Dowse who, with Woking FC first team coach Ian Dyer and midfielder Paul Hodges, brought along the Vanarama Promotion Playoff Final trophy for pictures with the kids.

As well as being a fun event, the tournament is a major fundraiser for the club, who are instead holding a sponsored penalty shoot-out this weekend (6 and 7 June) to raise money.

“All the boys and girls usually have a great time at the tournament which we are always proud to organise. It’s a real shame that we can’t put on the event this year and so we are hoping they all enjoy the 2020 penalty shoot-out challenge,” said chairman Lee Swain. “We are also pleased to be raising money for two deserving children’s charities and hope that everyone gives generously for two excellent causes.”

Now Dowse is also going on the run as part of the sponsored tournament weekend.

“Dowse has been a great supporter of our tournament as VIP guest for the last two seasons and we are delighted he is helping us again,” added Lee.