Fisher fan Ian Murphy raises nearly £300 following ground hop around London

Thursday 11th December 2014

FISHER fan, member and media and communications manager Ian Murphy took a week off work last month and spent it travelling across London in a sponsored ground-hop.

The hop aimed to raise funds for the club’s “Bring Fisher FC Home” campaign and the money raised will help with the fit-out of the new stadium.

Planning permission has been granted for a move home to Rotherhithe and after over a decade in exile the club hope to be playing football at the new ground on Salter Road in London SE16 next season.

With grant applications going in, the Southern Counties East Football League club still need to raise as much money as possible to ensure that the ground is kitted out for the campaign.

Starting off at Eltham Palace’s ground at Oxford Road in Sidcup, the Swanley resident visited 50 grounds in a week, including Bromley, North Greenford United and Carshalton Athletic.

He also visited some of the most iconic stadiums in the world such as Wembley and Arsenal’s stadium and of course Fisher’s neighbours Millwall before rounding off the week at Tunbridge Wells for Fisher’s fixture there on 15 November.

“The level of support and generosity shown by the clubs supporters (and supporters of other clubs) has been immense,” said Mr Murphy.

“The total raised through pledges so far is just shy of £300, which although not a vast total, will be put to good use.

“It could potentially pay to decorate the bar at the new stadium or help to kit out one of the changing rooms.”

He added: “Once again, thanks to everyone that sponsored me and to those who helped me with the challenge.”

The hopper took photographs of his Fisher jacket at each of the grounds that he visited and posted them on social networking tool Twitter.

Mr Murphy is still accepting donations for his hop – please visit www.fisherfc.co.uk and click on the Donate button on the homepage.

Fisher are a supporter-owned and run football club, run on a not-for-profit basis.

Fisher are constituted on a co-operative basis which means that each member of the club holds and equal share and has equal voting rights to everybody else (including the directors and chair).

The club were formed as a continuation of Fisher Athletic Football Club, who were liquated in 2009, finishing their campaign at the foot of the Conference South table.

Fisher Athletic supporter Donna Powell, then 27, created history when she became the first woman to take charge of a senior man’s team for a home game against Eastleigh in February 2009.

She raised £500 in sponsorship to become manager for the day. Fisher lost 2-1 to the Spitfires that night.

Visit Fisher’s website: www.fisherfc.co.uk