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'Bums on seats' fundraiser repeated ten years on

Ollie SamuelsBBC News, Preston
BBC Two men sit in an empty football stadium, surrounded by blue and white seats. They are wearing white tshirts which reads "heartbeat"BBC
Carl (left) and Joe sat on every seat in Deepdale, with the help of a local primary school

Two friends said they were "exhausted" after completing a second challenge to sit on every seat in a football stadium - ten years after completing the first.

Between Joe Noblet, Carl Martinez, and pupils from Penwortham Primary School, all 23,404 seats at Preston North End's Deepdale stadium were sat on as part of their "Bums on Seats" effort.

Carl said: "Our joints are ten years older, our backs are ten years older, so Joe suggested the kids come down and help us out a bit."

The challenge was completed to raise money for the charity Heartbeat, which said it "just wouldn't be able to operate without the support of people like Joe, Carl and the children".

A group of school children sit on the first few rows of a stadium. Behind them, two men and a heart mascot are standing, arms aloft.
Carl, Joe, and the students from Penwortham Primary School

Joe said: I'm definitely not in the condition I was in ten years ago for multiple reasons."

Carl said he "underestimated" the challenge ten years ago, "and I think I underestimated being ten years older now as well".

"Knees are sore, arms are sore, back is sore, even my blisters are sore," Carl said.

Heartbeat is a cardiovascular charity, based at Deepdale, which delivers specialised exercise programmes, clinical testing, nutrition, lifestyle and well-being support for people across Lancashire.

It's fundraising lead Lisa Riding said "they might be aching tomorrow, but we are so grateful".

GOFUNDME An image showing two men, in white tshirts, sat on blue seats. Behind them is a red heart mascot and a duck mascot.GOFUNDME
Joe and Carl first completed the challenge ten years ago

Joe is the assistant head at Penwortham, whose students, between them, sat on all the seats in the Alan Kelly Town End - roughly 173 each.

Henry, a year six student, said "what my teacher is doing is just mad", while Ewan added that Joe and Carl "are just crazy in the head".

Joe and Carl said they were considering repeating the challenge again, every ten years.

"They'll pull us out of our old folks home in 40 years to do it, won't they?" Carl said.

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