Martin Leahy can kick it

Can You Kick It? Martin Leahy (right) is congratulated by Martin Ballard after kicking the competition winning goal

In Rochdale Hornet’s final game at Spotland before the pitch repairs started, Martin Leahy answered the question that had been asked for nearly a year - can you kick it?

A competition to kick the ball from the half-way line, started by Red Cape Marketing to help raise funds for the club, saw Martin step up when his ticket was pulled out of the bag. With one chance, Martin swung his left boot and comfortably cleared the bar netting the jackpot.

“I couldn’t believe that’s all I had to do,” said Martin after securing the top prize.

Hornet’s Chief Executive, Ryan Bradley, revealed Martin’s secret: “We used to go to Uni with Martin, he was the kicker for the uni team, so it’s been a while but we knew if he connected right that ball was going straight down the throat of the goal posts.”

The ‘Can You Kick It’ event starts again when Hornets return home to Spotland Stadium on 27 June.