STAY STRONG FOR JOHN HARTSON

JOE KINNEAR broke off our chat to take an important phone call.

By allowing me to stay in his cramped office at old Wimbledon's ramshackle training ground, Joe knew full well I would get a scoop.

And so the interview quickly changed from Kinnear talking up the Dons' chances of challenging for trophies to giving me the heads up as to why he had just splashed out a club record £7.5million to sign John Hartson from West Ham.

Such a sum might sound like shrapnel in today's insane transfer market but in 1999 it was big money for Manchester United, let alone Wimbledon. Things didn't quite turn out as planned. Yet Hartson himself is still held dear in the hearts of old school Wimbledon fans, as he is with every club he played for.

I realise many will have a nasty abiding memory of Hartson kicking Eyal Berkovic in the head during a training session at West Ham.

Hartson was full of remorse for his part in the flashpoint - so retaining some dignity - but Berkovic played out the drama to his own ends. Ask most ex-pros of that era who they'd rather have around and they would tell you John Hartson.

Having been in his company a few times since, even with a few beers inside, I can assure you Hartson was no bully. Far from it.

He was gregarious, opinionated and sometimes provocative. He was great company and would only flex his muscles if a mate was being wronged.

Scans

What even his biggest fans don't realise is that when Wimbledon decided to sell Hartson he missed out on a big move to Tottenham because he failed a medical for supposed dodgy knees.

Three other clubs, including Rangers, also rejected Hartson on similar grounds before, ironically, he joined Celtic and went on to become Scottish player of the year. Some medicals they must have been, eh?

If the scans had been done thoroughly then maybe the first evidence of testicular cancer would have been detected.

Instead it would seem the cancer has festered for too long and Harts is now in a desperate battle for his life.

Former Spurs and Chelsea player, Jason Cundy, felt a lump downstairs a few years ago, had the matter dealt with and, like other footballers such as Neil Harris and Alan Stubbs, lives a full and active life. Caught early enough there is a 99 per cent cure rate.

Testicular cancer is now the biggest growing killer of young men, yet caught and dealt with early enough there is cure. The FA have a 'Keep Your Eye on the Ball' campaign to draw attention to it.

Chaps, we owe it to our families as much as ourselves to make sure we are constantly on the ball. Good luck Harts.

For more info about testicular and prostate cancer check out www.everyman-campaign.org .

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