England Striker Says 'Keep Your Eye On The Ball'
23 February 2008
Liverpool and England striker, Peter Crouch, has kicked off the 2008 Keep Your Eye On The Ball Focus Fortnight (23 February-8 March), by calling for football fans across the UK to keep their balls in check.
The England forward met testicular cancer survivors in Liverpool to launch the Keep Your Eye On The Ball Focus Fortnight, an initiative backed by the Everyman Male Cancer Campaign, The FA and The PFA, urging men to check themselves and raise some funds for vital research into prostate and testicular cancer.
Crouch, who has joined other high-profile footballers, such as David James and Paul Robinson to back the campaign, said: “Men can be so vocal on the terraces but struggle to talk about their own health with their mates. It only takes a minute to check yourself and it’s worth it, because in life you don’t get extra time.”
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in 15-44 year olds but if caught early, it has a 99% cure rate, making awareness of the symptoms essential. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men, with over 35,000 men affected in the UK every year.
Clubs and supporters nationwide are being encouraged to put information about male cancer on their websites and in their programmes to help raise awareness. The Everyman Male Cancer Campaign is also encouraging men to log on to the Keep Your Eye On The Ball website and find out the signs and symptoms of testicular cancer.
Everyman spokesperson, Hannah Crabtree said: “Imagine a stadium the size of Anfield. Over half its capacity, 37,000 men, will be affected by male cancer every year. Hopefully, with world-class footballers like Peter Crouch spreading the message, more men will be aware of the signs and symptoms of the disease and catch it early.”
To find out more about the signs and symptoms of male cancer and to get involved with Keep Your Eye On The Ball, visit www.keepyoureyeontheball.org
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For more information about Keep Your Eye On The Ball and the Everyman Campaign please contact:
Dominique Vincent
020 7153 5312 or, out of hours 07721 747900
Notes to Editor
- The Keep Your Eye On The Ball campaign was initiated by the PFA and the FA in response to professional footballers including Jason Cundy, Alan Stubbs and Neil Harris being diagnosed with testicular cancer.
- Several high profile footballers have lent their support to the campaign, including David James, Ashley Cole, Neil Harris, Ryan Giggs and Sol Campbell.
- Everyman is a campaign run by The Institute of Cancer Research, to raise awareness and fund research into testicular and prostate cancer at The Everyman Centre – Europe’s first and only centre dedicated to male cancer research.
- The Institute of Cancer Research is Europe’s leading cancer research centre with expert scientists working on cutting edge research. It was founded in 1909 to carry out research into the causes of cancer and to develop new strategies for its prevention, diagnosis, treatment and care. Website at: www.icr.ac.uk.
- Prostate cancer has overtaken lung cancer to become the most common cancer in men affecting almost 35,000 men every year in the UK. One man dies of prostate cancer in the UK every hour.
- Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 44, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. Incidence is increasing dramatically – by almost 4-fold in the last 50 years, but thanks to advances made at Everyman, testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early, and with treatment the overall cure rate is 95%.
