Harrogate Railway assistant manager Lee Ashforth (right), with Billy Miller, is running the Berlin marathon on Sunday and will miss his Railway’s FA Cup tie at Colwyn Bay
Lee Ashforth will be using a lot of his data usage on his mobile phone when he is sat in a Berlin hotel or bar tomorrow afternoon.
Harrogate Railway’s assistant manager is missing their biggest game of the season as he’s running in the Berlin marathon on Sunday with former Railway midfielder Andy Shuttleworth.
It’s his fourth marathon – his second time in Berlin – and he’s aiming to beat his personal best of three hours and 47 minutes.
Railway, on the other hand, are heading to Colwyn Bay for the FA Cup second qualifying round tie in hope of causing an upset.
Ashforth told Non League Yorkshire: “I’m missing because I’m in Berlin this weekend doing the Berlin marathon on Sunday.
“I would love more than anything to be at the game.
“But I’ll be over there and I will admit that my thoughts will be back here and I will be following it every step of the way.
“I had to speak to the phone network earlier this week to make sure that I have 3g and I am sure I will be sending texts to certain people to keep me updated.”
Railway face a mammoth task at former Chelsea defender Frank Sinclair’s Conference North side, but this is the club who have defied the odds to reach the second round on two occasions in 2002 and 2007.
Billy Miller’s Harrogate have beaten Garforth Town and Clitheroe in the previous two rounds.
Ashforth admits it is a stern test for Railway, but he sees the game as an opportunity for good from an off-the-field perspective.
“It is a bonus for us to get to the stage we are at,” he said.
“To go through two rounds and get the club some money which you don’t budget for is a bonus.
“It’s an extra bonus that we are playing Colwyn Bay, a team from the Conference North which does make it difficult.
“But the good thing is that we have drawn them away so we get half the gate receipts.
“We will go into the game brimming with confidence because we are in good form and we’ll give a good go.
“If we can get a result or a draw that will be fantastic, but if we don’t, we know we have had a good run.
“All the supporters and committee are going on the coach along with the players and we don’t normally travel by coach.
“It is a good team-building game as well and also a chance for us to integrate with the supporters and the committee which is a good thing.”
After a stuttering first four games, Railway’s Evo Stik Division One North campaign is going well.
Wins over Clitheroe and Burscough have been achieved along with a draw with Prescot and Ashforth added: “Me and Billy never panicked.
“The teams who beat us convincingly, Farsley, Droylsden and Scarborough, are all going to be near the top of the league.
“We have had the run of results in the league ending with the Prescot game on Saturday.
“They equalised in the 94th minute and a draw was probably a fair result, but it was just disappointing to concede so late.
“But we have never panicked and we went four or five games undefeated and the league form is fine so we have no concerns at the moment.
“Although we do have a hard month coming up with Darlington and Spennymoor in there.”
Railway’s trip to Colwyn Bay is the featured game on Non League Yorkshire this weekend.