April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and players, managers and personalities from the world of professional football will be showing their support for the seventh annual Know the Score campaign.
Know the Score will run from 1st to 8th April and will see clubs, charities and governing bodies, including the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and League Managers Association (LMA), unite to raise awareness of bowel cancer signs and symptoms. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in the UK, and research has shown early diagnosis is key to survival.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who is supporting Know the Score, said: “I would urge anyone who thinks they may have symptoms of bowel cancer to visit their doctor as soon as possible.
“You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting it checked out. If it’s not serious, your mind will be eased, but if it is bowel cancer, research suggests that over 90% of patients will survive the disease for more than five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage.”
Thousands of ‘Star of Hope’ badges will be distributed to support the Know the Score, which is the brainchild of former Millwall, Charlton and QPR goalkeeper Nicky Johns. He lost his son, Stephen, to bowel cancer in 2008, aged just 26. The 2017 campaign also marks seven years since the popular former Exeter, Yeovil and Hereford striker, Adam Stansfield, died from bowel cancer at the age of 31.
Teams and match officials will also support the campaign by wearing Know the Score t-shirts while warming up before games.