Celebrities rally to raise money for pioneering bowel cancer research in memory of football legend Bobby Moore
Football Shirt Friday is back on 21 April. Now in its tenth year, the campaign tackles bowel cancer – all in memory of Bobby Moore OBE, the legendary World-Cup winning England football captain, who died of the disease 30 years ago. To help beat it, celebrities and football stars have joined forces, putting their allegiances to one side to encourage their fans to get involved.
England Captain and Tottenham striker Harry Kane, Arsenal defender Jen Beattie, and broadcaster and DJ Adele Roberts and her partner, actor Kate Holderness, are among the famous faces supporting the campaign. In a video, in which the sporting stars don their football shirts, they are calling on fans to wear their favourite football shirt to work, school or at home on Friday 21 April, to share a picture on social media and donate £5 to the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.
The fund, set up in 1993 by Bobby’s widow Stephanie Moore OBE, funds pioneering bowel cancer research to find better ways to prevent, detect, diagnose and treat bowel cancer. Over the last 30 years, it has raised more than £29m and seen mortality rates for bowel cancer fall by more than 30%.
“Mortality rates for bowel cancer have fallen significantly since Bobby’s death thirty years ago, and I’m so thankful to everyone who has supported us over the last ten years of Football Shirt Friday”, said Stephanie Moore OBE, “but bowel cancer remains the second most common cause of cancer death in the UK, so there’s still a long way to go. You could be the biggest football fan in the world or not know the offside rule, it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that everyone gets involved on 21 April to help beat the disease that took Bobby too soon.”
Speaking about why he supports the campaign, Harry Kane said: “Football Shirt Friday is a great day for football fans across the UK to come together. We may all support different teams, but we can all help tackle bowel cancer. All you’ve got to do is put on your favourite shirt, get your mates involved and raise awareness of this important cause. Let’s get together and wear, share and donate.”
“I’m proud to support Football Shirt Friday this year”, commented Jen Beattie, who is a cancer survivor herself. “Cancer can affect anyone and it’s so important that we raise awareness and funds to help beat it. I know that the football community is powerful when we get together so let’s wear our shirts on the 21 April, share a picture on social media and donate to tackle bowel cancer!”
Adele Roberts and Kate Holderness added: “Having been on our own journey with bowel cancer, we understand the importance of speaking out about the disease. Raising awareness of it is key and early detection can save lives. For this year’s Football Shirt Friday, we encourage everyone to wear their favourite football shirt! Show us which team you support and help us raise funds to tackle the disease. Together, we will beat cancer.”
April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. If you give a shirt about beating bowel cancer, wear your shirt with pride on Friday 21 April and donate £5 to the Bobby Moore Fund.
To get involved please visit Footballshirtfriday.org
Join the conversation using @BobbyMooreFund or on Facebook at OfficialBobbyMooreFund