Bristol Rovers players and staff will show solidarity with teammate Nick Anderton later this month by shaving their heads as he continues his battle with a rare form of bone cancer.
The defender was a hugely popular member of the team that won promotion from League Two last season and he was sure to be an important squad player this season until he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in the summer after complaining of what he thought was a knee injury.
Joey Barton and his players were stunned by the 26-year-old's diagnosis and have shown support in any way they can, with Barton saying he intends to run the London Marathon for his promotion-winning left-back. Gasheads, too, show their solidarity with a minute's applause when the clock strikes 16 – in a nod to his shirt number – at the Mem becoming a regular ritual on matchdays.
