Comment: Football may be answer to this problem

It’s difficult enough to get most men to go to the doctor at the best of times.

Add in a possible problem down below and it is doubly challenging.

Which is why conditions such as prostate cancer – highly treatable if caught in time – remain such an issue.

To compound the issue, despite being the most common cause of cancer among men in the UK it is not always given the same profile as other conditions, and lags 20th in the league table of research funding.

Indeed, spending on breast ­cancer which has a similar death rate to prostate is more than ­double at £853 per case diagnosed, compared with £417.

How can that be addressed and how can we get the awareness message through to stubborn men?

Football, it seems, might just be the answer.

We report today on a fantastic campaign with Linlithgow Rose Community FC.

The players are drawing attention by wearing the slogan ‘awful dribbling’ on their shorts.

Using humour like this to ­promote a serious message, in a situation where men are a captive audience and where they feel comfortable, is a fantastic idea.

It is not the first time the beautiful game has been utilised of course – recent years have seen clubs, including Hibs and Hearts, take on successful initiatives which have tackled issues including dementia and mental health.

This is great to see and we fully support all involved in the new campaign.

As Linlithgow fan Tom Lambie tells us today from personal experience, early diagnosis is the key and that can only happen if men swallow their pride and get checked out.

As the great Bill Shankly said: “Football is not a matter of life or death. It’s more important than that.” For the fans of Linlithgow Rose CFC though, going to the match may just be a lifesaver.