Supporters of Accrington Stanley have been offered a unique chance to follow in some legendary footsteps as the inaugural Men United Cup invites them to lace up their boots and compete on their home pitch.

Stanley are among six clubs who will host exclusive tournament days alongside Derby County, Doncaster Rovers, Exeter City, Leyton Orient and Sheffield Wednesday thanks to the flourishing partnership between The Football League and its Official Charity Partner, Prostate Cancer UK.

For just £150 of fundraising per squad of 10 you can enjoy a dream date on the Store First Stadium pitch on Monday 5^th May as you get to compete in this fantastic event. All proceeds will go towards fighting a disease which affects 1 in 8 men sometime in their life and kills over 10,000 men a year. There will be 18 teams playing one fixture each on this day to raise awareness and funds for this cause.

In addition to hosting a Men United Cup event, Accrington Stanley will be represented in the London to Amsterdam bike ride from June 6-8 and will be joining 63 other clubs by hosting a fundraising and awareness match day.

Mark Bishop, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “We have the ability to make dreams come true and this a great opportunity for fans to follow in their heroes’ footsteps and play on hallowed turf.”

“As well as an amazing experience for those who take part, the funds raised will help men and their families affected by prostate cancer.

“These special days are part of a bigger partnership between Prostate Cancer UK and The Football League as we call upon all men across the country to join Men United in the fight against a common rival.”

Accrington Stanley’s Community Manager and ex Professional Footballer Martin Fearon said: “I was proud to play at the Store First Stadium during my time as a player and it’s great to be part of an exciting event for such a great cause.”

“The fans are the lifeblood of clubs up and down the country and I know it will be amazing for them to emerge from the tunnel and emulate those heroes they watch from the terraces.”

To enter a team in the Men United Cup, please contact Accrington Stanley Community Trust on 01254 304071 or email info@stanleytrust.co.uk

To sign for Men United and help fight prostate cancer visit here.

 

About The Football League’s Official Charity Partnership with Prostate Cancer UK:

With 250,000 men – enough to fill Wembley Stadium three times over – living with the disease in the UK, the partnership will help to increase awareness of the disease and help raise funds so that more men survive it and enjoy a better quality of life.

Prostate Cancer UK – the Official Charity Partner of The Football League – aims to reach millions of football supporters through engagement activity across over 60 football grounds to raise awareness of the disease which now affects 1 in 8 men in the UK, that’s a death rate of 10,000 deaths a year. As well as raising awareness of the disease, the official partnership will help to raise funds so that more men survive it and enjoy a better quality of life. Men United – aims to galvanise the football community and inspire a movement for change in men’s health to win the battle against prostate cancer once and for all.

Prostate Cancer UK will launch a range of fundraising and awareness activities across the season and supporters can receive exclusive football stories via a Men United e-newsletter and sign up for the second annual charity challenge by cycling from London to Amsterdam. Also, the Men United Hall of Fame will seek to showcase and award members of the football community for outstanding work undertaken on behalf of men’s health across the season.

About prostate cancer:

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in men in the UK. Over 40,000 men are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year. Every hour 1 man dies from prostate cancer.

One in four Black men will develop prostate cancer at some point in their lives.

Prostate Cancer UK fights to help more men survive prostate cancer and enjoy a better quality of life. It funds research into causes and treatments and provides support and information.

If anyone has concerns about prostate cancer please call Prostate Cancer UK’s confidential Helpline on 0800 074 8383 or visit www.prostatecanceruk.org. The helpline is free to landlines, staffed by specialist nurses, and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.

About Men United:

Men United v Prostate Cancer is our call for men to join together in a movement against the common enemy of prostate cancer. The aim is to build a united front of men against this disease. We want to get the message out about one of the UK’s biggest man killers, support men affected by it, and intensify the search for more reliable tests and treatments for the future.

The Men United v Prostate Cancer campaign was launched following a breakfast briefing at The Football League HQ on January 24th with comedian Bill Bailey assuming the role of team manager.

Big names from the world of show business such as Stephen Fry, Sir Michael Parkinson and Damian Lewis, together with England sporting icons Les Ferdinand and Will Carling, have joined a new movement of men stretching well beyond 70,000 people. All have signed for Men United by completing a simple online test.

The core audience is men over 45 who urgently need to know about this disease, and to do something about it. Men United is not exclusively for men. This is a movement for men, but women will be critical supporters and activists within it. But, the core idea is that men are very consciously facing their health and banding together to right a wrong.