NEWS Group reporter Mark Stanford is going around the grounds' to raise funds for charity in aid of a football fanatic friend who died from leukaemia last year.

Mark will be part of a 13-strong squad travelling more than 2,400 miles to each of the 92 Football League and Premiership clubs during a two-week tour next month.

The tour is in honour of West Bromwich Albion fan Steve Hayden, of Kidderminster, who lost his brave year-long battle with leukaemia last August. He was 26.

The Stadiums For Steve' tour will see the group go from Manchester United to Macclesfield, Chelsea to Cheltenham and Liverpool to Lincoln in the quest to raise cash.

All proceeds from the group's trip will go to Birmingham-based charity Cure Leukaemia.

In a race against the clock the group, which includes Steve's friends and relatives, will visit each ground and hopefully come away with either a cash donation or piece of club merchandise to auction off after the tour.

It kicks off at Northampton Town on Sunday April 15 and is scheduled to finish at the Hawthorns on Friday April 27.

Aston Villa fan Mark said: "The tour should be a great adventure and the perfect tribute to Steve as he absolutely loved football.

"It's our way of making money for his chosen charity which hopefully we can do. He battled his disease so bravely alongside such great medical care that this tour is the least we can do to help other people who suffer from the condition.

"Steve would have loved to have done the tour himself so it will be tinged with sadness that he could not join us."

l Catch up on Mark and the team's progress daily between April 15 and 27 by reading his blog at www.dudleynews.co.uk/blog.

l To make a donation go to www.justgiving.com/stadiumsforsteve.