The Prostate United Story
It all kicked off in 2018. Two football club staff members, Stephen Gilpin and Ross Burbeary, set themselves a challenge after Stephen lost his grandad to prostate cancer. Their mission? Get moving every day and raise money to stop men dying from the most common cancer in the UK.
What began as two mates taking on a challenge has grown into something much bigger. Football clubs across the country joined the squad. Staff, supporters, managers and players all pulled on the fabled Prostate United shirt and got behind the cause.
Since then, Prostate United has become one of football's biggest grassroots fundraising movements. Thousands of people from clubs across the beautiful game have walked, run and cycled together, raising more than £1.5 million.
Today, Prostate United is proof of what football can do when it comes together. Rivalries are left at the turnstiles. Fans unite. Clubs unite. Communities unite. One team. One goal. To save men's lives.
And this October, we're calling you up to the squad.
A history of Prostate United
2018: Kicking off
- Stephen Gilpin and Ross Burbeary of Rotherham United launch the first Prostate United challenge in memory of Stephen’s grandad, Norman.
- Two mates. One challenge. Foundations laid, and £7,500 raised.
2019: The squad grows
2020-2022: Permanent fixture
- Prostate United becomes a fixture in the football calendar, bringing together staff and supporters from across the football pyramid.
- Doncaster Rovers - lead by manager Grant McCann - top the fundraising table for the first time.
2023 - Welcoming fans
2024 - Major milestones
- More than 1,600 participants from over 100 teams across the UK take part.
- The challenge smashes through the £1 million fundraising milestone, proving the power of football when it comes together.
2025 - Pushing the limits
- Over 3,000 football fans and staff complete the challenge, making it the most successful year to date.
- Prostate United truly puts its name on the map in the sport, scooping the Best Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme at the Football Business Awards.
2026 - ???
