Former England striker Les Ferdinand today
(25 September) urged Football League fans to show their support for
their team and raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK this season
by participating in the charity's 'Road to Wembley'
competition.
Ex-Sheffield Wednesday and Crystal Palace
striker, Mark Bright, is also calling on fans to get behind the
initiative.
The Road to Wembley gives supporters the
chance of winning a pair of VIP tickets to the play-off finals in
May whilst raising funds to help more men survive prostate cancer
and enjoy a better quality of life.
The VIP experience will include a pre-game,
behind-the-scenes tour of Wembley stadium. There are 15 pairs of
tickets up for grabs for the npower Championship, npower League 1
and npower League 2 play-offs.
To enter the competition all fans need to do is send a text
message with the name of their club.
The competition is part of the charity's partnership with The
Football League for the 2012/2013 season.
Les Ferdinand made his debut for QPR in The
Football League in 1987 before playing for Leicester City and
Bolton Wanderers.
He also won the League Cup with
Tottenham Hotspur in 1999. Les, who lost his grandfather to
prostate cancer, is an ambassador of Prostate Cancer UK and its
partnership with The Football League.
He is committed to raising awareness of the
disease, which African-Caribbean men are three times more likely to
develop than white men of the same age.
Les was also a staunch supporter of
Prostate Cancer UK's campaign to get breakthrough drug abiraterone
widely approved on the NHS.
Les Ferdinand, who now coaches at Spurs,
said: "Having lost my granddad to prostate cancer, I am keen to add
my voice to the movement fighting it. Men are getting more health
conscious, but there is still plenty of room for more awareness
about prostate cancer, which kills a staggering one man every
hour.
"I would urge every Football League fan
across the country to enter the competition to show their support
for their team, for a chance of winning a VIP experience and to
help raise funds to fight the most common cancer in men. The more
people who back their team, the more money will be raised to help
Prostate Cancer UK support men with the disease, provide vital
information and find answers by funding research into causes and
treatments."
Football pundit, Mark Bright, added: "This
is a really quick and easy way to raise funds for Prostate
Cancer UK whilst getting behind your team. At this time in the
season there's everything to play for, and with 1 in 9 men being
diagnosed with prostate cancer each year, 'The Road to Wembley' is
one way fans can make a real difference."
Mark Bishop, Director of Fundraising at
Prostate Cancer UK, said: "Over 40,000 men, like Les' granddad, are
diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. It's the most common
cancer in men and is estimated to be the most common cancer overall
by 2030. There is an urgent need for Prostate Cancer UK to continue
growing its support services to help men affected by the disease.
The Road to Wembley competition is a simple way to raise vital
funds to ensure we can do just that."
To take part in 'The Road to Wembley' simply text Fl
followed by the name of your favourite Football League team to
82772.
The cost of entry is £3 plus standard network charges.
At least half of the £3 fee will be donated to Prostate Cancer UK.
Participants can only win if their team is one of the six Football
League Clubs reaching the Football League play off finals at
Wembley stadium (i.e. 2 clubs from The Championship, 2 from
Division 1, 2 from Division 2).
Visit prostatecanceruk.org/football for
more information, and for terms and conditions for 'The Road to
Wembley'
@ProstateUK #roadtowembley