Former team mate holds fitness fundraiser for family of Rochdale legend Joe Thompson
A friend and former teammate of the late Rochdale footballerJoe Thompson is holding a non-stop fitness session to raise money for Joe's family.
Simon Ramsden played at Rochdale FC with Joe for six years. He is taking on the massive challenge of a 37 hour non stop fitness session, accompanied by friends and former colleagues.
He said: "One of Joe's sayings in life is "don't live life to survive, live life to thrive' and I think that's absolutely right.
"I'm doing 37 hours, and seven rhymes with heaven, so I could have taken the easy option and done 27 or a lesser number, but Joe never did anything by half, so I don't think I should either."
Thompson - who battled cancer on three occasions - died at the age of 36 in April 2025.
He played more than 200 games for Rochdale, and was first diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma in 2013 while playing for Tranmere.
He later signed for Bury and spent time on loan at Southport and Wrexham as he tried to build his match fitness following treatment.
He returned to Rochdale from Carlisle in 2016 but the disease soon returned, requiring extensive treatment.
Thompson announced he was cancer free in June 2017 and less than a year later scored the goal that kept Rochdale in League One, beating Charlton on the final day of the season.
However, he announced his retirement two years later, saying at the time his body had been pushed 'to the limit' by his two fights against Hodgkin lymphoma.
He started his career in the Manchester United academy as a forward, and later returned to the club as an Ambassador.
After he'd called time on his playing career, Joe took to fundraising and raising awareness of blood cancers, most recently completing a 21-mile walk from Old Trafford to Rochdale's Crown Oil Arena.
Simon's challenge will raise money so that Joe's wife Chantelle can take their daughters Lula and Athena Rae on a dream holiday to New York, something that Joe had promised 12 year-old Lula.
He said: "The donations are coming in left, right and centre from all over the country. It's been a crazy few hours with no sleep and we will be training through the night, but its all for an amazing cause."
"Joe was an amazing man and a great friend to me - we want to be able to give something back to his kids. Every penny will go to them."
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