Guardian Secret Footballer column on depression in football published on Friday

[AllyF]

Spooky timing in light of today's news.

Tremendous article. It's officially time for the world to take a good look at how seriously it takes football.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/25/the-secret-footballer?newsfeed=true

[hibsbollah]

Ive followed the secret footballer since the start...unmissable reading. i started off thinking it might be david james?

[Andy74]

Spooky timing in light of today's news.

Tremendous article. It's officially time for the world to take a good look at how seriously it takes football.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2011/nov/25/the-secret-footballer?newsfeed=true

You can't blame football. People in all walks of life take different things seriously and like any other cross section of society it will have the same amount of people who are predisposed to these things or who get themselves in difficult circumstances.

[Future17]

You can't blame football. People in all walks of life take different things seriously and like any other cross section of society it will have the same amount of people who are predisposed to these things or who get themselves in difficult circumstances.

I've not read the Gary Speed thread so this may have been mentioned already, but I think that what is mentioned in the excellent article in the OP in this thread is only one way in which the problem can be created.

I've read articles in the past about the struggle to cope upon retirement from football. Speed was a consumate professional who lived his life off the pitch with one eye on it. For 20 years of his life he was fixated on each Saturday and everything that happened in between weekends was just build-up. To have that taken anyway after so many years must be very hard to deal with.

I'm obvioulsy drawing conclusions based on scant knowledge and evidence, but it makes you wonder whether he may have been better off staying in club management where he could get a regular fix.

[Green and white]

If you look at country's like Holland, Spain and Italy there is a lot less pressure at grass roots and youth levels. How many people here have been to a Sunday league game or a youth match and seen the abuse the ref gets or even the players from parents "if he skins yae one mare time son im taking you off". I understand this article is about professional football but our game is riddled with under education, poor attitudes and a win at all cost mentality.

[Andy74]

I've not read the Gary Speed thread so this may have been mentioned already, but I think that what is mentioned in the excellent article in the OP in this thread is only one way in which the problem can be created.

I've read articles in the past about the struggle to cope upon retirement from football. Speed was a consumate professional who lived his life off the pitch with one eye on it. For 20 years of his life he was fixated on each Saturday and everything that happened in between weekends was just build-up. To have that taken anyway after so many years must be very hard to deal with.

I'm obvioulsy drawing conclusions based on scant knowledge and evidence, but it makes you wonder whether he may have been better off staying in club management where he could get a regular fix.

Yes and what I meant was that for those people, regardless of the job they had if they were in a position where they lost it, or something changed they would cope the same way.

Tens of thousands of footballers finish their careers, do something else and cope fine so it's not the football that's the issue.

Depression is a mental illness which you seem to be predisposed to and football I think will have no more than its average share of people who suffer from this.

[truehibernian]

Ive followed the secret footballer since the start...unmissable reading. i started off thinking it might be david james?

I think you are spot on with who you think it is bollah. James is very well read and almost self educated. Watched an interview with him and I immediately thought through his language it was him.

That said, Graeme Le Saux is a very good writer too......he would be my second choice.

[matty_f]

Very interesting piece and shows the very real impact that abuse from the stands can have on players.

[hibsbollah]

Very interesting piece and shows the very real impact that abuse from the stands can have on players. I read somewhere that ONE THIRD of all adults will suffer a depressive episode at some time in their lives (clinical depression, not just a 'down in the dumps after a derby defeat' feeling). Modern medicine has failed to deal with it.It wouldnt be surprising if professional footballers' unique pressurised lifestyle made this even more prevalent.

[Godsahibby]

Posted by Stan Collymore via twitter yesterday!

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ecoqm1

Scary timing, posted only a matter of hours before Gary Speed to his own life.

[CropleyWasGod]

Posted by Stan Collymore via twitter yesterday!

http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ecoqm1

Scary timing, posted only a matter of hours before Gary Speed to his own life.

As one who has his own struggles with the Black Dog, that is so true, so poignant, yet very comforting at the same time.

[nonshinyfinish]

I think you are spot on with who you think it is bollah. James is very well read and almost self educated. Watched an interview with him and I immediately thought through his language it was him.

That said, Graeme Le Saux is a very good writer too......he would be my second choice.

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

From the information gathered thus far, it's definitely not a goalkeeper, and Le Saux retired too long ago. Keep guessing though. :wink:

[judas]

I read somewhere that ONE THIRD of all adults will suffer a depressive episode at some time in their lives (clinical depression, not just a 'down in the dumps after a derby defeat' feeling). Modern medicine has failed to deal with it.It wouldnt be surprising if professional footballers' unique pressurised lifestyle made this even more prevalent.

There is pressure in all walks of life not just football. Depression is indiscriminate.

But the wealth of the average footballer would help, by affording the player top class psychiatric assistance. Sadly this is not available to other good people with children to feed and less lucrative jobs.

Depression is a terrible thing, but lets not lay to much emphasis on the hardship suffered by footballers.

[hibsbollah]

There is pressure in all walks of life not just football. Depression is indiscriminate.But the wealth of the average footballer would help, by affording the player top class psychiatric assistance. Sadly this is not available to other good people with children to feed and less lucrative jobs.Depression is a terrible thing, but lets not lay to much emphasis on the hardship suffered by footballers. Its not about hardship per se. Lack of education, status anxiety, external validation, short working day with lots of time on your hands, washed up at 35 instead of 65? Its hardly a healthy emotional environment.

[lapsedhibee]

http://www.whoisthesecretfootballer.co.uk/

From the information gathered thus far, it's definitely not a goalkeeper, and Le Saux retired too long ago. Keep guessing though. :wink:

Fairly amazed at some of the suggestions there.

Cole, Barton, Bowyer, Beckham, Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Rooney - can any of these even write their own name?

[judas]

Its not about hardship per se. Lack of education, status anxiety, external validation, short working day with lots of time on your hands, washed up at 35 instead of 65? Its hardly a healthy emotional environment.

Can't disagree with any of that. Though I would have thought that someone like Gary Speed would have had plenty in his schedule and lots of ways to spend his time with few financial limitations.

[nonshinyfinish]

Fairly amazed at some of the suggestions there.

Cole, Barton, Bowyer, Beckham, Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Rooney - can any of these even write their own name?

I imagine that people who think it might be Rooney either are criminally insane or assume that there is a ghost-writer involved.

[Scorrie]

Fairly amazed at some of the suggestions there.

Cole, Barton, Bowyer, Beckham, Owen, Rio Ferdinand, Rooney - can any of these even write their own name?

He may be a little so-and so on the pitch but heairng him on Goals on Sunday the other week and other programmes, he does come across as fairly articulate. I was surprised!

[Scouse Hibee]

He may be a little so-and so on the pitch but heairng him on Goals on Sunday the other week and other programmes, he does come across as fairly articulate. I was surprised!

That's because like me you don't need an interpretor to listen to him :greengrin

[Hibs Class]

Posted by Stan Collymore via twitter yesterday!http://www.twitlonger.com/show/ecoqm1Scary timing, posted only a matter of hours before Gary Speed to his own life. Very articulate and really sad.