Blackburn Rovers & Burnley unite against prostate cancer

Rovers and Burnley are joining forces in a bid to combat prostate cancer and save the lives of local men.

Thanks to generous support from The Barry Kilby Prostate Cancer Appeal – a special fund operated by the Clarets’ vice chairman – Blackburn Rovers Community Trust will be hosting a special screening event on Saturday October 28th 2017.

Taking place between 10am to 1pm in the Legends’ Lounge at Ewood Park, it will help men detect whether they possess any of the early signs of the condition and hopefully tackle symptoms at the earliest possible stage.

The quick, easy and possibly life-saving blood tests cost just £5 per person, with the price being heavily subsidised by Barry’s charity.

Similar events have been held with great success at other football grounds up and down the country thanks to support from the charity, with thousands undertaking the tests and scores of men being able to combat the effects of prostate cancer thanks to early intervention.

The stadium setting ensures that the target audience – men aged 50 or over – are in a familiar and comfortable setting, with the timing of the Ewood Park event deliberately scheduled to allow Rovers fans the chance to go straight from their screening to the supporters’ coaches heading to the game at Wigan Athletic that afternoon.

The appeal to get local football fans screened has been backed by Premier League title-winner Kevin Gallacher, who met with Barry to represent Rovers and show that football can be a powerful force when clubs work together.

He had a simple and powerful message to local residents, explaining: “If you’re in the right age band, I think that you’ve got to get yourself down to Ewood Park to get tested at this event.

“At the end of the day, it could save your life.”

Kilby, the driving force behind the event, is bringing the initiative to Blackburn for the first time and stressed the importance of raising awareness.

He said: “This dreadful cancer affects one in eight men in their lifetime. By standing together, and catching the symptoms early, we will save lives.”

Entry on the day will be via the Darwen End reception, with volunteer guides on hand from the East Lancs Prostate Cancer Support Group to direct visitors where to head for their potentially life-saving health check.

Blackburn Rovers Community Trust would like to thank Northcote for their support of the event, donating the room hire free of charge to support this worthy cause.