Top teams chance to shine at Birmingham’s Star City
14 December 2009
The final of the first annual Keep Your Eye on the Ball Charity Cup, a nationwide 5-a-side football tournament raising money for male cancer, takes place on Sunday 20th December at Star City, Birmingham.
The tournament in aid of Everyman, the nation’s leading male cancer charity kicked off on Sunday 29th November and over the last month has seen Goals Soccer Centres play host to Champions League style heats at each of the 33 branches across the UK.
Winners from each branch will now travel to Star City to participate in a one-day, knock out competition, with the chance to win £1000 and be crowned national champions of the Keep Your Eye on the Ball Charity Cup.
Birmingham City captain Lee Carsley who is supporting the tournament and helped launch the West Midlands leg of the charity cup commented:
‘‘This tournament is a great chance for aspiring footballers out there to prove themselves on the pitch while at the same time raising money for the Everyman campaign.” He added “it’d be great to see a local team crowned national champions.”
A total of 357 teams originally entered the competition and over XXXX has been raised so far, with proceeds going to help fund research into testicular and prostate cancer at the Everyman Centre, Europe’s only dedicated male cancer research centre.
‘The response we have had from lads cross the country has been fantastic,’ commented Everyman’s Jon Street. ‘All the heats have been hugely competitive with some quality football played and the final is shaping up to be a huge event. We can’t thank Goals and the players enough for their support and we look forward to crowning the first Keep Your Eye on the Ball national champions on Sunday.’
The Keep Your Eye on the Ball campaign was founded by Everyman, the Professional Footballers Association and The Football Association in 2000 in response to several high profile players including Neil Harris, Alan Stubbs and Jason Cundy being diagnosed with testicular cancer. In association with the PFA and FA the campaign aims to raise awareness of, and funds towards, research into male cancers.
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Media contact: Jon Street 020 7153 5542, Mobile 07875 026143 or email Jonathan.street@icr.ac.uk.
Notes to Editor
Keep Your Eye On The Ball was set-up by The FA, PFA and Everyman in 2000 in response to several high profile players being diagnosed with testicular cancer. The aim is to raise awareness of testicular and prostate cancer within the football community and raise funds for research at The Everyman Centre - Europe's first and only centre dedicated to male cancer research and part of The Institute of Cancer Research. Everyman is the UK’s leading male cancer campaign.
Testicular cancer is the most common form of cancer in men aged between 15 and 44, with about 2,000 cases a year in the UK. Incidence is increasing dramatically – by almost 4-fold in the last 50 years, but thanks to advances made at Everyman, testicular cancer is 99% curable if caught early, and with treatment the overall cure rate is 97%.
