Special night for football, cricket and rugby fans

Football, cricket and rugby fans in London have the chance to hear from three England icons at an exclusive event next month.

Intrepid television presenter Jeff Stelling will host a sporting Q&A evening – Jeff Stelling Meets... – for Prostate Cancer UK at the Honourable Artillery Company in central London on May 8, featuring Paul Merson, David Gower and Will Greenwood.

Teaming up with the leading men’s health organisation, the long-standing Sky Sports Soccer Saturday anchor will welcome the trio ahead of his latest marathon challenge later in the summer.

Stelling is poised for another epic walk for the charity in June when he embarks on 15 marathons in 15 days from Exeter to Newcastle and the evening with Merson, Gower and Greenwood forms part of his fundraising drive (prostatecanceruk.org/jeffmeets).

Former Arsenal and England forward Merson is a regular sidekick of Stelling on Soccer Saturday and known for not mincing his words about the current state of his old club, while fellow Sky Sports presenter Gower, one of cricket’s most stylish left-handed batsmen who played 117 test matches and 114 ODIs, will assess a new England Test cricket era under Joe Root and an exciting summer of international and domestic cricket.

Rugby World Cup winner Greenwood, whose international career saw him pick up 55 caps in more than a decade at the game’s top level, will be able to reflect on England’s revival and look ahead to the eagerly-anticipated Great Britain and Ireland Lions tour to New Zealand.

As well as top-notch entertainment, there will be unlimited beer and wine during the evening as well as delicious bowl food, and there will be many more surprises in store.

Silver tickets are available for £120, while an exclusive gold package, priced £200, will gain exclusive access to a VIP drinks reception alongside Stelling and the sporting stars.

Stelling said: “After the agony and ecstasy of my efforts last year, particularly the agony, so many people have been in touch with stories of their battle against prostate cancer, so many people who wanted to say thank you to me and to Prostate Cancer UK for their support.

“It makes me feel very humble but it also makes me feel very gratified that I’m in position where I can do something. Prostate Cancer kills one man ever hour in the UK, and I just decided I couldn’t sit on my backside and do nothing about it.

“I can put one foot in front of the next and hopefully raise awareness and raise funds to help men beat this diabolical disease.

“As part of the build-up, our Q&A will help raise awareness of the walk and, hopefully, a fairly sizeable chunk of money. It will be a very relaxed evening with a little bit of chat from the stage.

“The idea is everyone gets to listen to some outstanding British sportsmen from the last couple of decades. Hearing David Gower will be great and, take it from me, Will Greenwood is an absolute master at after-dinner speaking.

“He’s brilliantly entertaining, as is Merse, who is one of the best in the business. People who come along are in for a real treat.”

It’s an evening not to be missed and to find out more about the event then please register via prostatecanceruk.org/jeffmeets or email specialevents@prostatecanceruk.org or call 020 3310 7000.

*Stelling is aiming to raise £500,000 on his March for Men, 15 walking marathons in 15 days at the start of June, from Exeter City to Newcastle United.

Starting in Devon on Friday 2 June, Jeff’s March for Men will see the Sky stalwart walk 400 miles from the South West to the North East with the symmetrical stroll starting at St James Park, home of the Grecians, and ending at the Magpies’ St James’ Park a fortnight later.

Jeff’s journey will see him visit more than 40 football clubs, heading up the west of England via Bristol and Stoke and through the northern footballing hotbeds of Merseyside and Manchester, before cutting across the country and ending at the home of Championship high flyers Newcastle.

Of course, his boyhood club, Hartlepool United will be en route and he will also start the final day at Durham County Cricket Club.

The mega event is part of Prostate Cancer UK’s wider walking programme, March for Men, which includes a trio of Local Walks across Father’s Day weekend, in London on June 17 and Leeds and Glasgow 24 hours later.

The charity will also be encouraging supporters to hold their own marches to try and raise £1 million through walking in 2017.

This money will have a huge impact on the lives of those affected by prostate cancer and will help bring us one step closer to stopping prostate cancer being a killer.

Prostate Cancer UK is the Official Charity Partner of The English Football League (EFL) and 22 clubs will be represented along the route, through the heartlands of England.