April is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month and players, managers and personalities from the world of professional football will be showing their support for the seventh annual Know the Score campaign.
Know the Score will run from 1st to 8th April and will see clubs, charities and governing bodies, including the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and League Managers Association (LMA), unite to raise awareness of bowel cancer signs and symptoms. Bowel cancer is the second biggest cause of cancer death in the UK, and research has shown early diagnosis is key to survival.
Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe, who is supporting Know the Score, said: “I would urge anyone who thinks they may have symptoms of bowel cancer to visit their doctor as soon as possible.
“You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting it checked out. If it’s not serious, your mind will be eased, but if it is bowel cancer, research suggests that over 90% of patients will survive the disease for more than five years if diagnosed at the earliest stage.”
Newport County AFC and Portsmouth FC supported the campaign by wearing Know the Score t-shirts while warming up before Saturday's game. We will be doing the same for our upcoming match against Crawley Town FC.
For more information about the campaign, visit www.knowthescore.org.uk or follow @KnowTheScoreUK on Twitter.