The England football team, having kicked off the 'Keep Your Eye On The Ball' campaign last week, is calling on football clubs up and down the country to come forward and join the fight against male cancer. The players took time out of their training schedule to pose with the campaign's signature 'lumpy ball' urging all men to ‘check their balls for irregular lumps’. The campaign, run by The PFA, The FA and the Everyman Campaign, aims to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer among players and fans. A recent survey of football fans, commissioned by the Everyman Campaign, found that a shocking 84 per cent of men feel that they are less well informed about cancer than women. The survey also revealed that worryingly only 19 per cent of men regularly check themselves for testicular cancer. When asked whom they would feel comfortable talking to if they were worried about testicular cancer, seven per cent said no one, 41 per cent said their GP and 36 per cent said girlfriend or partner. The results of the survey show that men need to be made more aware of the risks of testicular cancer, which the Keep Your Eye On The Ball campaign hopes to achieve by highlighting the issue. The initiative has support from England Manager Sven-Goran Eriksson who says: "The footballing community is not immune to the threat of cancer but by being more aware of the signs and symptoms of testicular and prostate cancer men can give themselves a fighting chance. I am delighted to support Keep Your Eye On The Ball as it's a campaign which can ultimately help save men's lives."Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive of the Professional Footballers' Association says: "We established the Keep Your Eye On The Ball campaign in response to a number of players discovering that they had testicular cancer. The players are now well enough to continue with their careers, demonstrating how early diagnosis and treatment can lead to full recovery. With this important campaign entering its fourth year, we would like to thank players and supporters alike for their contributions that have ensured its success."FA Chairman Geoff Thompson says: "Male cancers are too often ignored and overlooked and this is football's opportunity to use its high profile to generate awareness of these diseases. I encourage everyone involved in English football to give their full support to Keep Your Eye On The Ball and am confident that the campaign will ensure that the whole footballing community is better informed." Philip Black from Everyman says: "The Keep Your Eye On The Ball Campaign brings together the leading organisations in football, The PFA and The FA, and in the field of male cancer, the Everyman Campaign. Together we can make a real difference in the fight against testicular and prostate cancer."* NOTE: Testicular cancer, if caught early, has a 96% cure rate and therefore it is essential that awareness of the symptoms is raised through campaigns such as Keep Your Eye On The Ball. Publicity for the campaign will focus on a two-week period, beginning today. Clubs and supporters nationwide are being encouraged to put information about male cancers on their websites and in their programmes to ensure that all their fans are aware of these types of cancer and to contact the Everyman Campaign for more ways to get involved.
