Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough has joined forces with a host of other football managers to give their teams the most vital talks of their careers - after chilling statistics show that prostate cancer kills one man every 45 minutes.
The Brewers manager, along with football bosses including Burnley's Sean Dyche; Stoke City's Mark Hughes; Slaven Bilic, from West Ham United; Brighton and Hove Albion's Chris Hughton and Craig Shakespeare from Leicester City, have teamed up with their contemporaries from the English Football League, League Manager's Association and Prostate Cancer UK to inform others about the deadly disease.
Together they are condemning the devastating illness in a series of passionate and life-saving messages as part of a high-profile campaign to tackle the most common cancer in men.
Shocking figures show that two men will die during the length of a football match, reinforcing the need to take immediate action against the disease.
As well as speaking out about the issue, football managers will be wearing Prostate Cancer UK's iconic 'Man of Men' pin badge on the touchline during the 2017/18 campaign as the leading men's charity cranks up the serious message.
Clough, who is among more than 25 managers pledging his support, said: "From wearing a Prostate Cancer UK pin badge to being aware of your risk of prostate cancer or doing something amazing to raise crucial funds, we all need to work together to beat this opponent for good."
Burton Albion Football Club has also linked up with Burton Queen's Hospitals' urology team to host screening sessions for the local community.
Prostate Cancer UK is the long-term charity partner of the English Football League and is also a proud partner of the League Manager's Association allowing the charity access to football clubs, managers, players and supporters.
Angela Culhane, chief executive of Prostate Cancer UK, said: "For many years now Prostate Cancer UK has teamed up with the football family and seeing so many managers proudly wearing our Man of Men pin badge sends out a really passionate message about what we stand for.
"These managers deliver crucial team talks every match day, and we are proud to stand side by side with them against the deadliest opponent of all, prostate cancer. One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes; it's the most common cancer in men - but we can turn it around.
"From the Premier League and our ground-breaking partnership with the EFL to the grass roots game and some legendary names, football has proved to be an incredibly effective way of driving home our messages in a variety of ways to fans, players and club officials, many of whom previously had no idea about the dangers of the disease.
"We thank all the managers, clubs and supporters for their continued support; for marching for men, for cycling to Amsterdam, for collecting on match days and for sporting our iconic badge. United against prostate cancer, we can make this disease something the next generation of men need not fear."
One man will die from prostate cancer every 45 minutes in the UK equating to more than 11,000 a year. Based on current trends, this number will rise to more than 14,500 men dying of the disease every year by 2026.
To show your support by purchasing a Man of Men badge, text BADGE to 70004 to donate £5 and help stop prostate cancer being a killer.
For information about the badge and the charity's work in football, visit prostatecanceruk.org/whostheman.
