'Football helped me through my cancer diagnosis'

A group of men from Portsmouth have told the BBC that walking football has helped them come to terms with a cancer diagnosis.

Nationally one in eight men are diagnosed with prostate cancer, but for the Portsmouth Walking Football Club that number is one in five.

The team is now hoping to raise awareness about getting checked early, as well as encouraging others to talk about the disease.

Among their ranks is former Portsmouth goalkeeper Alan Knight, who revealed he had advanced prostate cancer in October.

"Once you get diagnosed, once the cancer word is used, it just changes everything," he told the BBC.

"The support network, having your mates around you - family first and foremost - but then to have your mates and your team mates around you is huge.

"It gives you that lift when you can be slipping into that bit of depression."

Fellow player David Hall, who recovered from oesophageal cancer four years ago, said: "You can only have so many cuddles - it's nice to come out and have someone take the mickey out of you."

Alan Scott, chairman of the walking football club, said the team provided a "window into what the prevalence of prostate cancer is".

"It's a great relief to be able to chat openly about it without any embarrassment," he said.

Mr Scott, who previously had prostate cancer, said his diagnosis had been "devastating" and left him unable to sleep for weeks after.

"But as soon as I had the guts or the courage to open up to the guys here, and then you realise other guys have got it - I came to terms with it," he said.

Mr Knight, who is known by Pompey fans as The Legend, recently finished chemotherapy and is now due to begin the next stage of treatment.

"The lads have given me some knowledge of what's coming in the next few weeks, but they've been there and all that support and knowledge really helps when you're going through it," he said.

"Going in there blind can sometimes be really scary, but hearing some of the lads stories and their experiences really helps."

When asked what his message to other men was, he simply said: "Go and get a test."

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