Former Doncaster Rovers midfielder Martin Woods will compete in a charity boxing match in London next month. The 40-year-old, who made 137 appearances for the club, is taking part to raise money for a series of charities.
Woods said the idea came from an old friend. "It was Graham Stack, one of my old friends, who phoned me about it," he explained. "I am fully on board with Stack and what he's doing, I think it's amazing."
The event is scheduled for Thursday 22 October and will be broadcast live on Amazon Prime. Woods, who has never boxed before, is raising funds for the Willow Foundation, Helping Hands Barnet, Playskill, and Sport in Mind.
A key figure in Rovers' recent history, Woods joined the club from Rotherham United in 2007 and spent seven seasons at the Keepmoat Stadium. He was part of the squad that won promotion to the Championship in 2008 and secured the League One title in 2013. After his playing career, Woods moved into a backroom role and was named the club's academy head of recruitment and loans earlier this year.
He will be joined in the ring by several other former footballers, including Jay Emmamuel-Thomas, Sebastian Bassong, and Leroy Lita. Woods began his professional career with Leeds United and earned caps for Scotland at Under-21 level.
The news comes as the current Doncaster side seeks its first league win of the season. The team sits 24th in League One with just three points from six matches, having lost their last three games. Their most recent result was a 1-0 defeat away to AFC Wimbledon last Saturday. Fans can check the upcoming schedule, including the next fixture at Peterborough on 19 September, on the club's fixtures page. The full squad list for the current campaign is available on the squad page.
The original report is at Doncaster Free Press
