The Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK is encouraging men, women and children to wear football shirts on Friday 27 April to raise money for research into bowel cancer.
The campaign, named âFootball Shirt Friday,â will run for the sixth successive year next week, and encourages people to wear a football shirt to work or school, along with donating ÂŁ5 to the Bobby Moore fund.
Football Shirt Friday is inspired by the iconic photo of England legend Bobby Moore at the 1970 World Cup, when he swapped shirts with Brazilâs PelĂ©. This has been seen as a mark of respect between players across the world ever since.
The charity aims to raise ÂŁ25m this year to commemorate Moore, who passed away from bowel cancer 25 years ago today.
Several well-known former footballers are supporting the campaign, including former England internationals David Seaman and Alan Shearer.
âFootball Shirt Friday is a campaign thatâs close to my heart and is so important in raising vital funds to beat bowel cancer sooner,â said former Arsenal 'keeper Seaman.
âBobby was a true hero and a real inspiration to many, so whatever youâre doing on Friday 27th April, make sure youâre wearing your football shirt.â
Football pundit and Premier League record goal-scorer Shearer said: âBobby was an incredible individual who was taken too soon.
âHis memory serves as a reminder of why itâs so important to get involved in fundraising initiatives like Football Shirt Friday. So get your shirt on and donate ÂŁ5 to life-saving research.â
Mooreâs widow, Stephanie, set up the Bobby Moore Fund in partnership with Cancer Research UK in 1993 to raise money for research into the disease.
âWe want to see the whole nation supporting Football Shirt Friday, by proudly wearing their teamâs colours and joining together in the fight against bowel cancer,â she said.
âItâs 25 years since Bobby died and in that time mortality rates for bowel cancer have fallen by more than 30 per cent, but sadly it still kills 44 people in the UK every day.
âBy uniting with friends and colleagues to fundraise for the Bobby Moore Fund, we can make even more progress and bring forward the day when bowel cancer is cured.â
To donate ÂŁ5 to the Bobby Moore fund, text BOBBY to 70200. Texts cost ÂŁ5 plus one standard rate text. Cancer Research UK receives ÂŁ4.89.
Full terms and conditions can be found at www.cruk.org/text. For more information visit www.bobbymoorefund.org