Graham Taylor taking to saddle for three-day fund-raiser

FORMER England football manager Graham Taylor is to take part in a three-day charity cycle ride from London to Paris.

He will be one of a field of 300 competitors looking to raise in excess of £500,000 for the Royal British Legion.

It starts at Greenwich Park on Thursday, September 2 and finishes at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris on Sunday, September 5.

"The Royal British Legion is the nation's leading Armed Forces charity providing care and support to all members of the British Armed Forces past and present and their families," said Taylor.

"As I come to the end of my first year as an OAP I cannot think of a better way of celebrating it than cycling from London to Paris. Can you?"

Taylor, who is also still a vice-president of his home town club, Scunthorpe United, is hard in training for the event.

"My preparations had to be put on hold for a month while I was in South Africa for the World Cup," he said.

"But I am back in training again now.

"Obviously I am looking for as many sponsors as possible.

"You can support me by making a donation by visiting www.justgiving.com/grahamtaylor and/or by texting 'graham' to 70222.

"The text message costs £3 plus standard network charges."