A GROUP of rival football fans have have cycle 400 miles to raise £10,000 in memory of their friend.

The five Saints and Pompey fans pedalled back into St Mary's Stadium last night to cheers from both sets of supporters ahead of Southampton's crunch game with Manchester United tomorrow.

They had cycled from Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium in less than a week in a ride dubbed the 'tour de farce'.

Their aim was to continue their fundraising campaign for Smile4Rich in honour of 15-year-old Saints fan Richard Bowler, from Locks Heath, who collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage while playing football nearly three years ago.

Neil Westbrook, Frank Cousins, Simon Jordan, Sharon Knight and Barry Knight set off from the most northern ground holding a Premiership match on Saturday, shortly before Boro kicked off against Tottenham Hotspur, on their journey to reach the most southerly.

Mr Westbrook said: "We left knowing we had raised £6,500 and now that has gone up to £9,700. We are confident that by the time we've counted everything up we will have reached our £10,000 target."

Smile4Rich aims to purchase an £80,000 intensive care ambulance for the Neurosciences Intensive Care Unit at he Wessex Neurological Centre in Southampton.