TEN professional footballers have sought help for depression since Gary Speed's inexplicable suicide on Saturday night.
Despite the fact that his agent and best man Hayden Evans - as quoted on this site yesterday - insists the Wales manager did not suffer from the condition, it appears his parting has led to a "scramble" for help at the Sporting Chance Clinic.
Their chief executive Peter Kay said: "I think it's almost inappropriate that anything good can come out of such an awful occurrence.
"But over ten players have contacted me since that news broke. That means ten people are seeking help. That is an unusual amount. If that can be deemed something worthwhile coming out from such a tragedy then so be it.
"When people are voicing the fact they've considered taking their own life, you have to understand that is one stage before the situation Gary got to."
Funding for the clinic, set up by former Arsenal and England talisman Tony Adams, comes partly from the Professional Footballers' Association. Its chief executive Gordon Taylor yesterday said players with mental health issues needed to find the "courage to ask for help".
As the footballing nation continued to mourn Speed's demise, concerns have been raised surrounding the Werther Effect, where talk of suicide leads to a lemming-like rush to the clifftop. The argument is this: If Gary Speed — great footballer, successful manager, rolling in money, still in good shape, handsome, lovely family, respected by all — can’t soldier on, how can anybody?
The Sun this morning reports: FIFTY thousand football stars have been sent a guide on tackling depression following Gary Speed's suicide. Copies were initially sent out at the start of the season to the PFA's 4,000 members — partly in response to the deaths of Rushden and Diamonds goalie Dale Roberts and Germany's keeper Robert Enke.
ReplyDeleteBut it increased the circulation after Wales manager Gary, 42, hanged himself at his Cheshire home on Sunday.