Our Supporters
25 Sep 2019
This article is more than 3 years old

MANarama returns! Grassroots football tackles prostate cancer with Vinnie Jones and Vanarama.

Vinnie Jones joins the fight against prostate cancer as the Vanarama National League becomes MANarama, with over a month of activity in football clubs across the country.

Hollywood hardman and former Wealdstone midfielder Vinnie Jones signs up to support grassroots football's fight against prostate cancer.

For a second successive season, the fifth and sixth tiers of the English game, including clubs like Notts County, Barnet and Wrexham, will be known as the MANarama National League up until 9th November.

Last year, long-time Prostate Cancer UK partners the National League rebranded mid-season with the ground-breaking MANarama campaign. It raised over £150,000 to help stop prostate cancer being a killer, and earned a host of industry awards. From September to November this year, MANarama returns, working with all non-league clubs to help them smash that target.

The campaign includes an alternative MANarama League table, which will track each club’s fundraising over the course of the campaign. Clubs raising cash for the cause will be in with a chance to win a brand new mini bus for the next three seasons. 

Vinnie met with us on Tuesday afternoon along with Kevin Webber and Errol McKellar, two men affected by the disease.

The former FA Cup winner heard former mechanic Errol’s story and waved off ultra-marathon hero Webber as he set off on an epic walk to the live-on-BT Sports MANarama opener between Dover Athletic and FC Halifax Town on Saturday evening.

Webber will be a familiar face to BT Sports viewers after delivering the match ball on the final day of the MANarama campaign in October 2018, at Halifax.

This deadly disease has no boundaries, so it’s been incredibly inspiring to see Kevin Webber raise so much awareness. He’s a remarkable man doing remarkable things and we will continue to stand alongside him, and everyone affected by prostate cancer.
Andy Alderson Vanarama Chief Executive

Speaking yesterday, Vinnie said:

“I am beyond proud to back this MANarama campaign. It combines two things which are so important to me; grassroots football and fighting cancer. I started playing football in non-league so I know that these clubs are at the heart of local communities. I don’t need to explain why the fight against cancer is so important for me.

“Non-league football is proper football and I’d urge all non-league clubs and all the proper supporters out there to raise some proper money for this brilliant cause.”

Non-league football is proper football and I’d urge all non-league clubs and all the proper supporters out there to raise some proper money for this brilliant cause.
Vinnie Jones

The campaign will also encompass the tenth anniversary of Non-League Day on 12 October, backed by Premier League and Championship clubs. The day is always scheduled to coincide with an international break and provides a platform for clubs to promote the importance of non-league football.

Get involved

For more information about the MANarama campaign visit the Vanarama (@Vanarama) and Prostate Cancer UK (@ProstateUK) Twitter feeds and the #GiveandGo hashtag. There are also three ways people can donate to the campaign using their mobile phones:

Text MAN £3, MAN £5 or MAN £10 to 70004 and help stop prostate cancer being a killer.

Texts cost £3, £5 or £10 plus network charge. Prostate Cancer UK receives 100% of your donation.