Francis Benali has just completed five Iron Man Challenges in a week, for most people in this World completing one in a lifetime would be enough. He is agonisingly close to his target for charity, help push him over the line
Francis Benali set out to do seven Iron Man's in a week as the third and for his health hopefully the last in a trilogy of punishing schedules aimed at raising £1 million pounds for Cancer Research UK, he now stands around £25,000 short of that target after this third challenge that to be blunt has almost killed him.
Most Saints fans have nothing but total respect for Francis Benali, not only for what he did on the pitch for the team during his long playing career, but for the way he has conducted himself since finishing playing and how he had set himself the task of raising £1 million for Cancer Research.
Now here is the Bob Geldof moment, fine words about Francis mean nothing, he has battled through the pain barrier in order to help others, the true reward for a man like Franny is not back patting but seeing that target smashed and Cancer Research receiving vita funding.
Francis Benali has never sought personal glory and that is the case now, if you want to truly praise him and congratulate him then put your hand in your pocket.
It is that close that the total needed to reach his goal is only 66p per Saints fan attending St Mary's on Sunday for the Huddersfield, that shows that every donation counts, if all you can afford is 20p then put that in.
As the headline says the word RESPECT could have been invented for Francis Benali, this morning he will be feeling a nagging feeling in his stomach as he said he was going to do 7 Iron Mans but only did 5, lets all show him that we care and respect him and there is only one way to do that as Bob Geldof once famously said.
"Get you're F****** money out"