Former England defender Paul Parker will join Prostate Cancer UK to talk QPR, Manchester United, England and why he’s joined the biggest ride in football at a Q&A event later this month.
The free event, which kicks off at 6.30pm at the Kings Arms pub near Liverpool Street on Tuesday February 18, will be hosted by Sky Sports reporter Dickie Davis and will see Parker look back on his playing days - including spells at Fulham, QPR and Manchester United - and assess England's chances ahead of Euro 2020 this summer.
Parker, who made 19 appearances for his country over a 15-year career, will also talk about why he has signed up to take on Prostate Cancer UK's Football to Amsterdam bike ride, which returns for an eighth year from June 5-7.
The 55-year-old will pedal from the iconic Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park's Lee Valley VeloPark in London for a second consecutive year, finishing the 145-mile challenge at the Johan Cruijff Arena, the home Eredivisie champions, Ajax.
The northern leg of Prostate Cancer UK's 2020 challenge kicks off, for the first time, from Sheffield Wednesday's Hillsborough - home of the Owls since 1899. Riders will cycle through the scenic Yorkshire countryside on day one, finishing the day's ride in Hull, where they will get the overnight ferry to Rotterdam.
Starting out as a charity challenge with 35 riders in 2013, the Football to Amsterdam bike ride from Prostate Cancer UK reached an incredible £2.5 million cumulative fundraising landmark in June 2019, with 2020's ride expected to smash the £3 million barrier.
Parker, who raised an impressive £1,800 in 2019, said: "Football to Amsterdam has been a huge success for Prostate Cancer UK, and it's fantastic to see that it has raised over £2.5 million so far.
"I'll admit I was a little sceptical before the ride last year as I wasn't much of a cyclist, but the support and camaraderie between all the riders guided me through - and I enjoyed the ride so much that I've signed up for 2020.
"Prostate Cancer UK is a terrific cause and is making huge strides in football and beyond. Events like Football to Amsterdam are playing a massive part in driving change for men but there's still a lot of work to be done.
"That's why I'm calling on football fans across the country to join me on the starting line next summer. With your support, we can help stop prostate cancer being a killer."
Andy Sallnow, Head of Events at Prostate Cancer UK, said: "For the first time, the number of men dying from prostate cancer every year has overtaken the number of women dying from breast cancer, making prostate cancer the third biggest cancer killer in the UK.
"That's why it's so important that events like Football to Amsterdam continue to gather momentum and we're delighted that Paul will be taking part to raise vital funds for Prostate Cancer UK.
"One man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer, that's two men during a football match which is simply unacceptable. We need to turn the game around for men and their families and Football to Amsterdam is a brilliant demonstration of fans putting their rivalries aside to fight one common opposition.
"Thanks to the money raised by Paul and the hundreds of riders taking part, we can fund more ground-breaking research, and it will also help us provide dedicated support and information to men and their families and make prostate cancer a disease the next generation of men need not fear."
Many people are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. One man will die from prostate cancer every 45 minutes in the UK. That's over 11,500 men a year.
'An Evening with Paul Parker' will take place at the Kings Arms, 27 Wormwood Street, London, EC2M 1RP on Tuesday February 18.
For more information, or to get your free tickets, visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/an-evening-with-paul-parker-tickets-90583996171.
For more information about taking part in Football to Amsterdam 2020, go to prostatecanceruk.org/amsterdam or contact the cycling team by calling 020 3310 7034 or emailing cycling@prostatecanceruk.org.
To sponsor Paul, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/paulparkerf2a.
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