FORMER Clarets chairman Barry Kilby is championing efforts to raise awareness of prostate cancer after his battle with the condition.

The ex-Burnley FC chief is urging people to undergo PSA (prostate specific antigen) tests if they suspect they may have the disease.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Key symptoms of prostate cancer can include more toilet trips, to pass water, difficulty or pain when urinating, or blood in the urine.

Kilby was diagnosed with the condition before stepping down from the helm at Turf Moor in February 2012 and has been involved in his own prostate cancer appeal.

PSA tests usually cost around £40 to administer – but through his appeal it is being offered at the bargain price of a fiver.

The offer will take place at Turf Moor in February when the Clarets play at Reading in the middle of the month.

He said: “The most important thing with prostate cancer is getting checked early. Men tend not to go to the doctors. I was a bit like that.

“It was so weird I saw a programme on it and one of the things it said was ‘if you’re going for a pee more regularly than normal’ and I thought ‘do you know, I’ve been doing that’.

“Normally I wouldn’t do anything about it but I did go and get checked. The Almighty must have been looking after me.

“I had a PSA level of 80. They reckon four or five is not right.”

He is currently on top of his condition using medication and is now keen for others to undertake the blood test, which could give more men a fighting chance of doing likewise.

If such awareness drives attract around the 300 mark, he will be satisfied.

Clarets boss Sean Dyche also staged a question and answer session at Burnley Golf Club.

The ex-chairman also penned a story about a gay footballer, as a fundraiser for the appeal, which is available to download for £1.99 from the Amazon Kindle store. He has already helped fund a prostate scanner for Burnley General Hospital.