Blue Bell landlord takes on 310km Prostate United challenge in memory of Pompey legend Alan Knight
‘The word legend is used far too often in football, but Alan Knight really was The Legend’
An Emsworth pub landlord is taking on a month long challenge in memory of his friend and Pompey legend Aland Knight.
Giles Babb, who runs the Blue Bell Inn on South Street, has pledged to walk 10km everyday in October as part of Prostate Cancer UK’s Prostate United challenge.
Having already signed up to the challenge, the news of Alan Knight’s passing last month has added extra significance to it with Giles now taking it on in memory of a man he idolised as a player and who he came to call a friend.
He said: “I had already signed up for Prostate United before we received the desperately sad news about Knightsie. It took a while to digest, but it has made me even more determined to complete every one of those 310 kilometres.”
An interaction with Knight last season summed up what made the Pompey goalkeeper so special. Giles introduced his son to Knight who then went above and beyond to make the day special for the boy.
Giles said: “Teddy asked Knightsie if he would sign his football, of course he signed it, but then he gave Teddy the Sharpie, took him around to meet the other former players and helped him get their autographs as well. He didn’t have to do any of that. But that was Knightsie, always thinking about somebody else.
“He was the same with his illness. He didn’t hide from what he was going through. He spoke about prostate cancer and used his own experience to raise awareness for other men.
“Even when he was facing something incredibly difficult himself, he was still thinking about how he might help somebody else. That summed the man up. The word legend is used far too often in football, but Alan Knight really was The Legend.”
Although Giles is hoping to raise money for the worthy cause, it is also just as important to him that he raises awareness of a condition that affects one in eight men.
He said: “I’ve had close friends suffer with prostate cancer and thankfully some have overcome it because it was discovered early. That’s why, for me, this is about awareness just as much as fundraising.
“If doing this gets one bloke to think about prostate cancer, understand his risk or have that conversation with his GP, then every kilometre will have been worthwhile.”
To donate to Giles’ fundraising page click here.