FORMER Bradford City players will be striding out for this year’s Memory Walk in Lister Park.

City manager Stuart McCall will set off the 5k walk next month, and walkers will be in the company of several ex-players, including Paul Jewell, Ian Ormondroyd, John Hendrie, Peter Litchfield, Billy Legg and Peter Jackson.

The walk, in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society, is organised by Christine Gilliver, wife of former City star Allan “Gilly” Gilliver, who has dementia.

There will be family entertainment on the day, including live music from Bradford ukulele band Splinter. There is no registration fee but sponsor forms are available, and there will be a raffle with prizes from Bradford’s Midland Hotel, Bingley’s Loft Cafe, My Thai restaurant in Frizinghall as well as signed Bradford City goodies including match day tickets.

Stuart McCall, whose father has dementia, will join Allan and Bradford City’s Chief Operating Officer James Mason at the start of the walk. Mr Mason, who also has close family members affected by the condition, said: “We encourage anyone who wants to join us to come along. It will be a fun day with a serious message to try raise as much money as possible to donate to research into the disease. I fully understand the strain dementia puts on people and their friends and relatives.”

Allan Gilliver was diagnosed with vascular dementia and degenerative Alzheimer’s Disease, and is cared for by his wife, Christine. She said: “Over the years I have met some amazing women and men who all face the same challenges as I do with courage, sadness, frustration and sometimes anger at what has happened to our lives.

“It is such a cruel disease; it robs you of your future. You become a carer for the person you love, even if they no longer realise it. You live with a sense of grief daily but you’re grieving for a person who is still there. So much more needs to be done to try and find a cure.”

Mrs Gilliver, of Allerton, has called on the Football Association to support former players suffering from dementia.

She believes her husband's condition is due to him heading footballs during his 16-year playing career, which saw him play for City in the 1970s. “There are hundreds of footballers his age who have dementia," she told the T&A.

Bradford Memory Walk takes place on Sunday, September 10 at Lister Park, Manningham. Registration is from 10am and the walk - which is three laps around the lake - starts at 11am.

Donations can be made at justgiving.com/fundraising/bradfordmemorywalk2017 or by emailing Christine.Gilliver@volunteers-alzheimers.org.uk