Football Shirt Friday 2017: Wear your team colours proudly and unite against bowel cancer

The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is encouraging men, women and children across the UK to dig out their football shirts and wear them loudly and proudly on Friday, April 28, to help fund life-saving research into bowel cancer.

Taking place during bowel cancer awareness month this April, Football Shirt Friday is returning for the fifth year with support from well-known faces from the sporting, business and acting worlds, with Robbie Savage, Sir AP McCoy, Sir Geoff Hurst, David James, Bianca Westwood and Tom Davis getting in on the action this week.

The fundraising initiative, which asks people to wear their football shirt and donate £2 to the Bobby Moore Fund, draws inspiration from one of the most famous images of Bobby taken at the 1970 World Cup, where he swapped football shirts with Brazilian legend Pelé. Shown as a sign of respect between the opposing players, it’s a gesture that has been recreated by footballers worldwide ever since.

Robbie Savage, former Wales International, Premier League footballer, pundit and William Hill Close to HOME ambassador said, “Bobby Moore is a true hero and there isn’t a person in the game who doesn’t look up to him and what he achieved for the sport.

“The passion I see and hear from football fans for their clubs is amazing. We need to take that spirit and apply it to beating bowel cancer sooner. We will make progress and we will win. Get your shirt on this Friday, donate £2 and let’s beat bowel cancer.”

TV Presenter Clare Balding OBE said, “Bobby Moore was more than just a footballer; he was an inspiration both on and off the pitch.

“The image of Bobby holding the World Cup aloft in 1966 is so poignant and serves as a reminder of why it’s important to raise funds for life-saving research. Wherever you are on Friday, make sure you’re wearing a football shirt.”

Bobby’s widow Stephanie Moore MBE, set up the Fund in partnership with Cancer Research UK to raise money for research into the disease. To date, over £23m has been raised to fund ground-breaking bowel cancer research.

Moore added, “We want to see the whole nation get behind Football Shirt Friday, wearing their team’s colours with pride and believing that together we can and will beat bowel cancer.

“We have made enormous progress in the last 50 years but sadly bowel cancer still kills 44 people in the UK every day. By joining forces, raising funds and channelling that unbreakable spirit of a football fan to support the Bobby Moore Fund, we can all help bring forward the day when bowel cancer is cured.”

Whether your colours are red, blue or canary yellow, get your team together on Friday, April 28, and make Bobby proud! To find out more, visit www.footballshirtfriday.org. To donate £2 to the Bobby Moore Fund, text GOAL002 to 70070. Texts cost £2 plus 1 standard rate text. Cancer Research UK receives £2. Ts&Cs at https://www.justgiving.com/en/charities-terms-and-conditions.  

Join the conversation on Twitter using @BobbyMooreFund #FootballShirtFriday or on the Facebook page at OfficialBobbyMooreFund.