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Tottenham and Newcastle legend Ferdinand saddles up for Prostate Cancer UK’s Football to Amsterdam ride

Sir Les to head up charity bike ride to help battle killer disease

Les Ferdinand will be cycling to Amsterdam in aid of prostate cancer

Former England striker Les Ferdinand will join the biggest ride in football next year, as Prostate Cancer UK’s million-pound cycling event gathers pace.

Sir Les, who scored with regularity in a career that also took him to Queen's Park Rangers, Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur, Leicester City and West Ham United, will join Preston North End manager Simon Grayson and ex-England skipper Terry Butcher in the fifth annual Football to Amsterdam ride - prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam - in conjunction with the EFL from 9-11 June.

Ferdinand, 49, now Director of Football at Loftus Road, lost his grandfather to prostate cancer. While for a second time, Grayson will ride in honour of his late friend Steve ‘Garby’ Garbett, who passed away from the disease in September 2014.

The duo will start at opposite ends of the country: Ferdinand pedalling to Amsterdam from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Lee Valley VeloPark, London; and Grayson joining the northern leg, which kicks off at Oakwell, home of Barnsley FC.

Starting out as a charity challenge with 35 riders in 2013, the Football to Amsterdam bike ride from Prostate Cancer UK and the EFL reached an incredible £1million cumulative fundraising landmark in June, as 350 riders rode 145 miles to stop prostate cancer being a killer.

Ferdinand said: “Football to Amsterdam has been an amazing success over the past four years and I’m really looking forward to saddling up for the first time to raise money for a charity close to my heart, Prostate Cancer UK.

“Prostate cancer affects 330,000 people in the UK, a staggering statistic. Think of a packed out Loftus Road and then imagine that almost 18 times over; those are the figures we are dealing with.

“One in eight men in the UK will be affected by this disease in their lifetime. But as a black man, my risk is even greater. One in four will be affected, and if there is a history of the disease in the family – like mine – those odds are even shorter.

“I’ll admit, prostate cancer wasn’t on my radar a decade ago; I knew nothing about it at all. Now I do. I lost my grandfather to prostate cancer and it’s also affected other members of my family too. I’ll be 50 in December, and need to set an example to my family and my peers, so I go and see my doctor every year without fail.”

Les Ferdinand lost his grandfather to the disease
Les Ferdinand lost his grandfather to the disease

Grayson added: “I am delighted to support Prostate Cancer UK, a charity which is very close to my heart, and I’m looking forward to joining the ride for a second time in honour of my late friend Steve Garbett.

“’Garby’ was a really close pal, who followed my career as a player and latterly as a manager and was always there to offer me support and advice.  He was there for the good and the bad before sadly passing away two years ago.

“His brave ten-year fight opened my eyes about the dangers of this disease, and I’m proud to wear my Prostate Cancer UK ‘Man of Men’ pin badge on the touchline every game to raise awareness. That man represents you, me and everyone affected by this disease.

“I was honoured to ride from London to Amsterdam with Steve’s son, Dave, two years ago and we’ll be putting out another strong team as we start from Oakwell this time round, aiming to take our fundraising up beyond £100,000.”

James Beeby, Director of Fundraising at Prostate Cancer UK, said: “Les Ferdinand is an iconic figure in British football and a legendary part of Queens Park Rangers history. So it’s fitting he will be leading his club into Europe amid a record-breaking peloton that also includes former England skipper Terry Butcher and Preston North End boss Simon Grayson.

“Away from the game, Les has also been a big supporter of ours for many years having seen this disease affect his family and friends, while Terry and Simon have also seen it affect loved ones. They know that ignoring prostate cancer will not beat it, and the money raised by everyone taking part in this ride will fund ground-breaking research to help fight the disease. That will help us provide dedicated support and information to men and their families affected by this disease.

“We are proud to be Official Charity Partner of the EFL, and clubs from across the football family have consistently shown a brilliant demonstration of what we call Men United: people joining one team to fight a common opposition – prostate cancer.

“One man every hour dies from prostate cancer; it’s the most common cancer in men. But we want to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear. We thank Les, Simon, Terry and all the riders for joining the fight.”

Ben Wright, Commercial Director of the EFL, said: “We are proud of our long term charity partnership with Prostate Cancer UK and, fresh from breaking through the £1million fundraising barrier this year, we can’t wait to saddle up for the 2017 edition of Football to Amsterdam.

“Universally known as the biggest ride in football, this end-of-season fundraiser has grown from strength to strength since 2013 with staff, supporters and former players joining the fight against a disease that affects so many men and their loved ones. It’s also great to see Les Ferdinand and Simon Grayson, two big names in the EFL, and more importantly two men who have seen first-hand the effects of prostate cancer, taking on the challenge.

“The EFL football family will always be Men United, and our continued work with Prostate Cancer UK again proves that the beautiful game can make a massive difference.”

Many people are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. It’s a huge issue that cannot be ignored. In 2016, one man an hour will die from prostate cancer in the UK. That’s more than 11,000 men this year. Based on current trends, if we ignore prostate cancer and do nothing, this number will rise to over 14,500 men a year by 2026.

People are urged to search Men United and join the fight.

For information about taking part in the 2017 ride go to prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam or contact the cycling team by calling 020 8222 7158 or emailing cycling@prostatecanceruk.org.

About Football to Amsterdam

 

o   From the initial event in 2013 with a small group of 35 riders setting off from Wembley and raising £30,000, Football to Amsterdam has proved a phenomenal success throughout its four years and the 2017 challenge runs from 9-11 June

o   As the Official Charity Partner of the EFL, Prostate Cancer UK inspired over 50 Football League clubs to take part from not one but three Grand Departs in 2016 making it the biggest ride to date. One group of riders rolled out of London from a new starting point at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Lee Valley VeloPark, while two further groups kicked off at Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium and Portman Road, home of Ipswich Town FC.

o   On the eve of the European Championships, there was a former England star on each leg as Luther Blissett, Terry Butcher and Viv Anderson joined a bumper field, all riding 145 miles and raising money to stop prostate cancer being a killer.

o   The Northern leg kicks off from Barnsley FC’s Oakwell Stadium – home of the Tykes since 1888. It takes the riders through the scenic Yorkshire countryside, past Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium to complete the first day’s ride in Hull where they get the overnight ferry to Rotterdam.

o   The southern leg – London to Amsterdam – started for the first time at the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Lee Valley VeloPark. The cyclists peddled through the streets of East London until breaking free into the beautiful Essex countryside, finishing the first day’s ride in Harwich. This year a 40-plus team from Ipswich started at Portman Road and joined the London ride at the lunch stop.

o   Both second days continue along the picturesque pathways of the Netherlands before the two Men United pelotons converge at the iconic Amsterdam ArenA, home of Dutch giants Ajax.

o   Prostate Cancer UK is the Official Charity Partner of The EFL.

o   For information about taking part  in Football to Amsterdam 2017 go to prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam

About Men United and Prostate Cancer UK

o   Prostate Cancer UK has a simple ambition – to stop men dying from prostate cancer.

o   Through shifting the science over the next 10 years to focus on radical improvements in diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and support, we can make prostate cancer a disease the next generation of men need not fear. Standing against injustice, Men United is Prostate Cancer UK’s movement for everyone who believes that men are worth fighting for. Already more than a quarter of a million strong, Men United will help Prostate Cancer UK raise its game - and the funds vital to beat this disease.  Working together, we can stop prostate cancer in its tracks.

o    Ignoring prostate cancer won’t beat it, so join the fight. Search Men United now.

 

Key Headline Statistics

o   More than 11,000 men die from prostate cancer in the UK each year – that's one man every hour.

o   It’s the most common cancer in men, with over 330,000 living with the disease.

o   Without urgent action, prostate cancer is set to become the most common of all cancers by 2030 which is why we must all act now.

o   Prostate cancer treatment often causes devastating, long term side-effects. Incontinence and erectile dysfunction strike at the heart of what it means to be a man.

o   Anyone with concerns about prostate cancer may contact Prostate Cancer UK's Specialist Nurses in confidence on 0800 074 8383 or online via the Live Chat instant messaging service: www.prostatecanceruk.org/. The Specialist Nurse phone service is free to landlines and open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday with late opening until 8pm on Wednesdays.

o   Visit prostatecanceruk.org now to help beat this disease.

 

About The EFL’s Official Charity Partnership with Prostate Cancer UK

o   With 330,000 men – enough to fill Wembley Stadium almost three and a half 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.

o   Prostate Cancer UK – the Official Charity Partner of The EFL – aims to reach millions of football supporters through engagement activity across over 50 football grounds to raise awareness of the disease which now affects 1 in 8 men in the UK, that's a death rate of more than 11,000 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.