Sheffield United fan to complete charity bike ride to raise money for The George Baldock Foundation
Sheffield United fan Josh Blackburn is going to cycle from Oxford to Sheffield in memory of former Blade George Baldock.
A Sheffield United supporter is planning to cycle more than 150 miles ahead of the Blades’ Championship opener against Birmingham City at Bramall Lane next month in memory of George Baldock.
Josh Blackburn, 38, is going to cycle from Oxford United’s Kassam Stadium to Bramall Lane on Friday, August 14, stopping off Stadium MK, the home of MK Dons, and Northampton Town’s Sixfields along the way.
Baldock tragically died in an accident in a swimming pool at his home in Greece in October 2024 at the age of just 31. Greece played England at Wembley the following day and dedicated their 2-1 victory to their former teammate.
Baldock was playing for Greek club Panathinaikos at the time of his death, having joined them in May 2024 after signing a three-year deal. He left United following the end of the 2023/24 campaign.
The former right-back spent seven years with the Blades, establishing himself as a fans’ favourite at Bramall Lane. He made 219 appearances for the Blades, scoring six goals.
In his memory, Mr Blackburn is going to cycle from Oxford to Sheffield, visiting each of the four EFL clubs Baldock represented during his career, to raise money for The George Baldock Foundation. He plans to leave the Kassam Stadium at 5am and arrive at Bramall Lane before 10pm that evening. United face Birmingham in their 2026/27 Championship opener the following day.
Mr Blackburn told The Star: “The reason behind the ride really started as I felt the Sheffield United supporters hadn't had an opportunity, to date, to get involved with the Foundation, so I knew I wanted to ride a distance for the Foundation - it was just a matter of working out where to start the ride.
“I know how much emotion George's passing brought to our supporters, and while I was looking into the Foundation and what other clubs had done, I quickly came to realise just how much he meant to fans of all the clubs he played for.
“He always felt like he was ‘one of our own’, but it seems like every side felt like this about him, all the way through to the Greek national team. At that point I felt it was only right to pay tribute to his footballing journey as a whole and connect those clubs on the ride.
“Unfortunately, thinking about my legs, I have had to ignore Tamworth and, obviously, Panathinaikos for this ride! The plan is to leave the Kassam at around 5am, stop at Stadium MK and Sixfields and end at Bramall Lane, sometime between 8pm and 10pm on the same day.
“It’s 250km in total, assuming I don't get lost! As it stands, I am doing the ride solo.”
Mr Blackburn, who runs an online education company, was not a United supporter from birth. Instead, he fell in love with the club during his time at Sheffield Hallam University. Living in Essex, he attempts to try and get to a few games every season.
He continued: “I don't live in Sheffield but I lived there for five years between 2006 and 2011 while at university and fell in love with the city as a whole. Having walked past Bramall Lane frequently to a friend's student halls, I went to some games as a student and just felt really connected to the club in a way I hadn't previously been.
“When I then left Sheffield the community around the fan base has been really important to me, keeping that connection to where I consider home. I now live in Essex and try to get to a few games a season, home or away.
“My two daughters are also starting to get into football and have been to see SUFC Women play a couple of times now as well. Blades shirts certainly aren't common around here, so they always stand out at training!”
Mr Blackburn has received plenty of support from The George Baldock Foundation and the former Blade’s family, including his brother, Sam. Setting up a JustGiving page, the United supporter set an initial target of raising £500 to support the Foundation, but the total has already reached £680.
Asked if he now has a revised target, he added: “I didn't really have an expectation for fundraising when I started - I just thought anything that can be raised would be really positive.
“Having met the £500 target, I am now trying to spread the message of ‘2 for George’ with that being a number that meant a lot. The shared ground capacity of the four clubs is around 83,000.
“The initial idea being that 2x10p from each seat could raise approximately £16,000. Unfortunately, JustGiving don't take donations less than £2, so £2 is what I am now promoting as a donation amount.
“£16,000 seems a long way off but we will see. The comments on the donations have been very special and engaging with the supporters of all the clubs keeps me wanting to raise more. I have created a poster, which I am sharing with local businesses and pubs around the grounds again to try and help spread the word.
“As I'm not local, it's been a little tricky to organise but I have already had lots of really willing support.”
To donate to Mr Blackburn’s charity bike ride in Baldock’s memory, you can sponsor him by heading to his JustGiving page by clicking here.