East Londoners host Potters looking to extend advantage over bottom three

West Ham United icon Trevor Brooking believes a win at home to Stoke City on Monday should be enough for the east Londoners to secure Premier League safety.

The Hammers currently hold a six-point advantage over the bottom three, but could stretch that to nine by beating the Potters at the London Stadium.

And Brooking, who made over 600 appearances for West Ham, believes that all three points tonight will prove enough to keep his beloved team safe.

“I think a win against Stoke on Monday would almost (37 points) be enough,” said the former England international.

“Stoke have done quite well over recent games. They were quite unlucky to lose at Arsenal and then Tottenham Hotspur at home.

“We have to make sure we play well. And I think three points will mean the last month of the season will be more relaxed than it was the previous one.”

Brooking was speaking after playing in the Prostate Cancer UK golf day at The Berkshire on last week, playing alongside good friend and former England teammate Ray Clemence, a man himself affected by the disease.

The 69-year-old has also seen his father and family touched by prostate cancer so was keen to support the charity in their work across football and golf.

“In the football fraternity there are quite a few people I know who have had their issues with prostate cancer. My family; my dad and my brother have had issues,” he said.

“I think you will be amazed the people you meet on your travels they have had issues as well. Cancer is a sensitive word for a lot of people but prostate cancer is something I’m very conscious of.

“A lot of men tend to be a bit macho and not say they are unwell or worry about anything about that, but over the past few years you try to encourage them to seek advice.

“I’ve been regularly tested over the past 15 years, sometimes every 12 months, sometimes six. It really is something that gives you piece of mind if the reading is fine. And from a prostate cancer point of view if you catch something and there is an issue early then it will stop it spreading.

“When you look at the current population we do live longer, but as a result have to be aware of issues and illnesses you might pick up. From the male population certainly, prostate cancer has been something over the past few years that seems to have been talked about a lot more comfortably and out in the open.

“They key for men is to have regular check-ups and to listen to and be encouraged to do whatever the experts tell you. That will hopefully make sure it doesn’t become a long-term problem.”

Brooking has also backed the charity’s Football March for Men which takes place on Sunday July 22nd, with West Ham’s London Stadium one of four starting points in a convergence event that ends at Wembley.

London Stadium will be the backdrop to the East London leg of the march, the route also visiting National League Leyton Orient before popping in on North London neighbours Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. Indeed, Spurs fans will get a glimpse of the new-look White Hart Lane before the day ends at their current borrowed base, Wembley.

The Hammers are among 15 clubs in London and the South East involved on the day and Brooking added: “Football has been very strong regarding prostate cancer with the Soccer Saturday panel and managers always wearing the ‘Man of Men’ pin badge.

“I always wear mine and it’s great to see more and more people now knowing what it means as the charity becomes more well known.

“Football is our national sport and having all those managers wearing them can hopefully encourage that one reluctant person to take that extra step.

“If, fingers crossed, West Ham get a win in the next week or two in order to make sure of their Premier League status at London Stadium for a third season, then I think the celebration of stretching your legs to Wembley seems like a good idea. More than anything you are given the opportunity to raise awareness of prostate cancer and raise some funds. Om the back of hopefully staying up I think there may well be a few West Ham fans that decide to take part.”

Many people are unaware that prostate cancer is the most common cancer in men. 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. One man dies from prostate cancer every 45 minutes, but fans are fighting back to make prostate cancer a disease that the next generation of men do not fear.

To sign up for the March for Men or find out more information go to prostatecanceruk.org/footballmarch.