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16 Aug 2024Robbie Lyle from Arsenal Fan TV walks to Premier League London rivals to help save men’s lives
AFTV host and football enthusiast Robbie Lyle, laced up his walking shoes for a cause that's close to his heart. From 13-15 August, Robbie walked to all of Arsenal's Premier League rival clubs in London, all in support of Prostate Cancer UK.
Starting off at Brentford’s Gtech Community Stadium, Robbie trekked 44 miles across the city, visiting Fulham, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, West Ham, Tottenham Hotspur and finally his beloved Arsenal! Joined by some of our football-dedicated staff here at Prostate Cancer UK, Robbie was determined to use his platform to shine a light on the impact of prostate cancer.
I’m trying to use football to spread the word, to let people know about prostate cancer. I hope that this march does that
The most common cancer in men, prostate cancer affects one in eight men—and for Black men like Robbie, the risk doubles to one in four. For Don Robbie, this walk was more than just a pre-season warm-up; it's a powerful stride to saving men’s lives across the UK through raising lifesaving funds.
1 in 8 men and 1 in 4 black men get prostate cancer. We need to raise awareness and to raise money to stop men from dying. We need to let men know about their risk so that they can get checked so they can prevent it
Walking for football fans across the UK
This isn’t the first time that Robbie has raised life-changing funds for Prostate Cancer UK. In 2017, he raised over £10,000 for the 1 in 4 Black men that are affected by prostate cancer. However, with 37,000 men living with prostate cancer in London alone (that’s almost two-thirds of the capacity of Emirates stadium), this time he was on a fact-finding mission to find out more about Arsenal’s London Premier League rivals ahead of the new season.
Do you want to join Robbie’s lifesaving efforts? This season we’re encouraging football fans to represent their clubs like Robbie by joining us for Prostate United during the month of October.
While all clubs have been supportive of Robbie, he praises Chelsea for being very welcoming and inviting him to tour the grounds at Stamford Bridge. Acknowledging what this is what it was all about, ‘putting rivalries aside for the moment, it’s about raising money for this great cause. At the end of the day, we’re all football fans.’
Encouraged by his fans and supporters, who have generously donated and sent him kind words to his JustGiving campaign, Robbie continued on through leg pain and the glaring summer heat! Not only that, but he was also encouraged by his fans who recognised him during his walk and by men who had been diagnosed with prostate cancer themselves and noticed the Prostate Cancer UK logo and his shirt.
One man in particular spoke about how he had to have his prostate removed but was treated successfully and has since gotten the all clear! He now wants to follow in Robbie’s footsteps and raise money for better treatments and tests for prostate cancer so more men like him can be saved.
Saving men’s lives by raising funds through football
Not only was Robbie able to speak with men who had been diagnosed and fortunately caught it early, he also caught up with Sky Sports whose camera man had also been through the prostate cancer journey. While they spoke about the importance of raising awareness, Robbie didn’t miss a beat to talk about Arsenal’s chances in the upcoming Premier League season!
I feel that it’s our time this year and we’ll win the league
To really emphasise to his fans how important and vital it is to raise awareness of prostate cancer, he has offered the chance to watch an Arsenal game with him at the Emirate stadium to whoever donates the most to his fundraiser! Who could pass that up, with an incredible opportunity like that!
As Robbie was getting closer to the Emirate stadium, he felt great about what he achieved! While his legs may have been hurting him, he reflected on the fantastic journey he had along the way and the reason he did it:
Meeting people along the way that had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and hearing their stories really emphases how important it is to catch prostate cancer early. I really want to support this work because this disease affects so many men
Don Robbie’s football march is part of Prostate Cancer UK’s ongoing efforts to unite the football community so that less men get an advanced prostate cancer diagnosis. His journey coincides with the launch of Prostate United, where fans are encouraged to run, cycle, or walk every day in October, representing their clubs and saving lives.
Represent your club like Robbie and help save men’s lives.
