Football-mad youngster is going on the run to help save Hartlepool United

Football-mad Leo Allen, five, will be doing a sponsored run twice around the pitch at Victoria Park in a bid to boost funds for the club.

Across the town people are rallying in a bid to save Hartlepool United, which faces going into administration if if doesn’t raise £200,000 by the end of the month.

Leo, a pupil at St Helen’s Primary School in the town, is a huge Pools fan and goes to all the home games with his dad, Peter Allen, and grandad, David King.

And, the youngster is not the only one doing his bit for Pools, his mum, Natasha Rumble, works in the catering cabins inside the ground on matchdays and said she, along with a lot of the other members of staff, are working for free at the match on Saturday, which is a sell-out.

The 29-year-old said: “Leo is absolutely Pools mad. His grandad is a massive fan and that’s how he got into it.

“His grandad said he couldn’t go to the matches until he was eight because he didn’t think he would sit still, but he started going at four and sits totally engrossed in the game.”

Natasha said Leo saw club mascot H’Angus the Monkey collecting money in a bucket and asked why he needed the money.

The mum-of-two, who lives in Telford Close, said: “I tried to explain to him that the football club needed a lot of money to keep playing and he said he wanted to help raise money as well.”

So, the club agreed that after school on Friday, Leo could do two sponsored laps of the ground to help with the fundraising.

Although, twin sister, Lillie-Mae, is not really a football fan, she has even donated some of her pocket money to the cause.

Natasha said: “We only started this on Monday and he has already got about £500 in sponsorship.

“I work in the catering cabins on matchdays and a lot of us, and I think a lot of the bar staff as well, are working for free on Saturday to help save a bit of cash. I think it is going to be a very busy day.”