Ex-Tranmere player Alex Hay very kindly gave up an hour of his time to discuss his decision to run two marathons in two days, in what he is calling the “2 in 2” for Clatterbridge Cancer Charity.

Alex, who is 42, grew up as a Tranmere fan, and his love for the game began due largely to the area he was brought up in. He explained that he was given “a ball and a wall” and his sole ambition was to one day play in front of fans at Prenton Park. Luckily, his dream came true when he was picked up by the Rovers Academy at the age of 10. At 14, he was offered contracts at Everton, Liverpool, and Tranmere, but for him, it was an obvious choice to pick his beloved White Army. His first full game for Rovers was a 4-1 win over Preston North End in the second round of the Worthington Cup on 11th September 2001.

This was just the beginning of a career that led to 54 appearances for TRFC and then moves across the UK to clubs such as Bangor, Rhyl, Morecambe, and Rushden & Diamonds. His next role was as player-manager at local club Cammell Lairds, and he then became a scout for Chester and left shortly after to take up a similar role back at Tranmere Rovers.

Fast forward to today, and Alex is now a careers teacher at a school in Liverpool and also runs his own business called Blossom Skills, which allows children to partake in 1-on-1 sessions with him to improve their football skills! He started Blossom Skills after being encouraged by people around him to give coaching a go.

Further details of Alex’s coaching school can be found at:  

https://www.facebook.com/blossomskills/

The motivation behind the “2 in 2” marathons was his dad, who was diagnosed with terminal cancer nine months ago. His dad’s fantastic attitude to this terrible news has prompted Alex to give something back, and so he has decided to raise funds for Clatterbridge Hospital for the support and care they provide.

The two marathons will take place on Saturday 20th & Sunday 21st April 2024, with the first one being on the Wirral, starting from the Wirral Clatterbridge Hospital, Cancer Charity Department, and finishing at Prenton Park. Alex will then immediately travel to London and run the TCS London Marathon the following day.

The purpose of the Wirral marathon is to combine his two passions: the area he grew up in and Tranmere Rovers. There will be donation buckets available while he is running and at the Tranmere match to help add to the funds raised. There is also an opportunity to donate an amount to run a number of legs of the Wirral marathon alongside Alex, and when asked what his goal is to complete the two marathons, he simply said “to survive!”

If you would like to donate to Alex's amazing endeavour, please follow this link:

https://www.justgiving.com/page/alex-hay-1700507834620