DARREN Moore has joined forces with a host of top football managers to give the most vital team talks of their careers, after chilling statistics showed prostate cancer kills one man every 45 minutes.
The Baggies boss has been proudly wearing Prostate Cancer UK’s iconic ‘Man of Men’ pin badge on the touchline during the 2018/19 campaign, and has now delivered a vital team-talk, raising awareness of the most common cancer in men.
Moore said: “It’s great to see Prostate Cancer UK doing work to try to find out and eliminate the problem. It does exist, it is there and we do have to take it into account.
“I wear my Man of Men pin badge as I want to make people aware that prostate cancer is out there and to try to get checked out as quickly and as regularly as possible and to not overthink it and think ‘it’s never me’. If you’ve got any concerns, get to your nearest GP and get checked out.
“It’s a shared problem, so men should never feel like they can’t talk to somebody. By talking about it, it might encourage men to see a specialist and get the problem fixed.”
While one in eight men will be affected by prostate cancer in their lifetime, that risk heightens to one in four for black men, and former Jamaica international Moore is keen for the football community to continue to drive home the message about the killer disease.
“One in four black men will get prostate cancer in their lifetime – obviously, I fall into that category – so it’s a major concern,” said Moore, who spoke before receiving an award at the Football Black List celebration evening, an event designed to pay tribute to people with African and Caribbean backgrounds making a difference in the beautiful game.
“Football is the perfect tool for awareness in terms of the fan base, the community and the messages that football clubs can promote. If football clubs can put out this message in a high regard and make people aware then they are doing the right thing.”
Moore is among more than 50 managers to pledge his support across the football landscape, with Premier League bosses Rafael Benitez (Newcastle United) and Chris Hughton (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Championship managers Frank Lampard (Derby County), Aitor Karanka (Nottingham Forest), Neil Harris (Millwall) and Steve McClaren (QPR) all regularly sporting a ‘Man of Men’ pin badge on the touchline this term.
Prostate Cancer UK enjoyed a successful charity partnership with the EFL for six years, and is also a proud partner of the LMA, allowing the charity access to football clubs, managers, players and supporters.
Their ground-breaking Football to Amsterdam bike ride has raised more than £2 million in the past six years, while Millwall and Scunthorpe United have both sported the Prostate Cancer UK logo on their kits. Southend United became the latest club to follow suit this season, with Chris Powell’s side emblazoning the charity’s logo on both its home and away shirts.
Angela Culhane, Chief Executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: “For many years now Prostate Cancer UK has teamed up with the football family and seeing so many managers proudly wearing our Man of Men pin badge sends out a really passionate message about what we stand for.
“These managers deliver crucial team talks every matchday, and we are proud to stand side by side with them against the deadliest opponent of all, prostate cancer.
“One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes; it’s the most common cancer in men - but we can turn it around.
“From the Premier League and our ground-breaking partnership with the EFL to the grass roots game and some legendary names, football has proved to be an incredibly effective way of driving home our messages in a variety of ways to fans, players and club officials, many of whom previously had no idea about the dangers of the disease.
“We thank all the managers, clubs and supporters for their continued support; for marching for men, for cycling to Amsterdam, for collecting on match days and for sporting our iconic badge. United against prostate cancer, we can make this disease something the next generation of men need not fear.”
The substantial sums raised by fundraising such as Football to Amsterdam will help ‘shift the science’ and crack the three core issues of diagnosis, treatment and prevention, which have been left unsolved for too long. It will also help provide support and information to those affected by the disease.
Many people are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It’s a huge issue that cannot be ignored. One man will die from prostate cancer every 45 minutes in the UK. That’s over 11,000 men a year. Based on current trends, if we ignore prostate cancer and do nothing, this number will rise to over 14,500 men a year by 2026.
For information about the badge and the charity’s work in football visit prostatecanceruk.org/football.