Nobody seems to have picked up on the news item about Richie Foran supporting an initiative to help players who may have mental health problems. 

Inverness manager supports mental health initiative for footballers
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/scotland/37225204

In this story it is really good to hear that as team captain Richie would visit players who were out with long term injuries recognising that this can be very depressing. He also talks about the importance of recognising that some unusual behaviour on or off the park can often be a symptom of a problem. 

We moan often enough about what players get paid these days, but it is important to recognise that it can be emotionally very difficult for these young lads. They are often living away from friends and family, they are subject to the pressures of high expections from the club and to oftenunfair criticism from the fans and media. The mental health of the players is therefore a vitally important issue and it is brilliant to see our new young manager providing some leadership here. 

Well done Richie!

Yip mega kudos to Mr Foran. I have come across a lot of players in my time. And there is a spread of ages, remembering that like Joe Public 1 out of 4 footballers will suffer mental health problems at some stage of their life. The main presentations that I have come across are the youngsters who perceive that they have failed and the 40-50 group who can't adapt to life without football. There is a growing support system in England that I hope is duplicated in Scotland. And as ever prevention and education is the key and Mental Health staff are going into Academies regularly to spread the word. 

 

Serious question - how prevalent did you find these issues within the sporting community in general?

Great to see Foran getting involved in this initiative. Mental health doesn't seem to have been an issue that has been addressed much among sportsmen in Scotland until recently, and there does seem to have been a certain amount of fear, ignorance and prejudice around the issue, if the case of Jimmy Calderwood's bullying of Ryan O'Leary is in any way representative. 

3 hours ago, Charles Bannerman said:

Serious question - how prevalent did you find these issues within the sporting community in general?

Sportsmen are basically just human beings and as susceptible as the next person. I have always found that it is the sense of failure / non achievement and the post career scenarios that are the most common, irrespective of the sport. Footballers of course with their outlandish salaries also fall foul of the drink, drug and gambling addictions. Many footballers still get away with those behaviours whereas many other sports people dedicate themselves to fitness and commitment.

Whenever I see a footballer covered in tattoos I think there is someone who neither values his time nor money, same goes for the addictions mentioned above. Top footballers live in a gilded cage and I was pleased to see Matta of Man Utd speak out recently on that very subject saying that they did not live in the real world.

Whilst having sympathy for anyone who is ill, mentally or otherwise, the people living under real pressure are those single parents who through death, divorce or illness find themselves having to bring up a young family whilst holding down a job to put food on the table, the majority just don't have the money or time to indulge in addictions. Perhaps those self centred, self loving footballers could contribute their tattoo money to these heroes for whom each day is a struggle.

If you think I'm being harsh on footballers how many contributed to the " Thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund after his trade union wrote to the players of the top 400 clubs asking them to donate their bonus money from ONE match, which was going to be used to help young footballers who failed to make the grade and ended up on the street. Answers on a very small postcard.

And then there is the major precipitating and perpetuating stress factor - the agent !!

2 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Whenever I see a footballer covered in tattoos I think there is someone who neither values his time nor money, same goes for the addictions mentioned above. Top footballers live in a gilded cage and I was pleased to see Matta of Man Utd speak out recently on that very subject saying that they did not live in the real world.

Whilst having sympathy for anyone who is ill, mentally or otherwise, the people living under real pressure are those single parents who through death, divorce or illness find themselves having to bring up a young family whilst holding down a job to put food on the table, the majority just don't have the money or time to indulge in addictions. Perhaps those self centred, self loving footballers could contribute their tattoo money to these heroes for whom each day is a struggle.

If you think I'm being harsh on footballers how many contributed to the " Thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund after his trade union wrote to the players of the top 400 clubs asking them to donate their bonus money from ONE match, which was going to be used to help young footballers who failed to make the grade and ended up on the street. Answers on a very small postcard.

I had typed up a longer reply, but I decided I could cover it off in just 5 words.....

What a load of tosh!

2 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Whenever I see a footballer covered in tattoos I think there is someone who neither values his time nor money, same goes for the addictions mentioned above. Top footballers live in a gilded cage and I was pleased to see Matta of Man Utd speak out recently on that very subject saying that they did not live in the real world.

Whilst having sympathy for anyone who is ill, mentally or otherwise, the people living under real pressure are those single parents who through death, divorce or illness find themselves having to bring up a young family whilst holding down a job to put food on the table, the majority just don't have the money or time to indulge in addictions. Perhaps those self centred, self loving footballers could contribute their tattoo money to these heroes for whom each day is a struggle.

If you think I'm being harsh on footballers how many contributed to the " Thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund after his trade union wrote to the players of the top 400 clubs asking them to donate their bonus money from ONE match, which was going to be used to help young footballers who failed to make the grade and ended up on the street. Answers on a very small postcard.

Im sorry but that is so much off the mark......Mental illness can affect us all and I know that in my personal and professional life. What has tattoos to do with it?

Just be grateful its not you or your family! Mental illness is just as much an illness as having a physical illness such as diabetes or asthma. Would you call all ill folk self indulgent? I think not...Thankfully attitudes like yours belong in the dark ages and I for one am glad that the issue of mental illness, especially in young men, is getting some coverage at last.

3 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Whenever I see a footballer covered in tattoos I think there is someone who neither values his time nor money, same goes for the addictions mentioned above. Top footballers live in a gilded cage and I was pleased to see Matta of Man Utd speak out recently on that very subject saying that they did not live in the real world.

Whilst having sympathy for anyone who is ill, mentally or otherwise, the people living under real pressure are those single parents who through death, divorce or illness find themselves having to bring up a young family whilst holding down a job to put food on the table, the majority just don't have the money or time to indulge in addictions. Perhaps those self centred, self loving footballers could contribute their tattoo money to these heroes for whom each day is a struggle.

If you think I'm being harsh on footballers how many contributed to the " Thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund after his trade union wrote to the players of the top 400 clubs asking them to donate their bonus money from ONE match, which was going to be used to help young footballers who failed to make the grade and ended up on the street. Answers on a very small postcard.

This. One in ten people will experience an episode of mental ill health at some point in their lives. This is fact. This is regardless of their job, economic or marital status. It is also regardless of their tattoo status. Every one of that 1:10 deserves support and if this is a way of reaching a notoriously difficult to engage group (young men in this case) it is unequivocally good.Superficial judgementalism is not.

Tattoos - My erse

28 minutes ago, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Tattoos - My erse

 

Please do not post them on here. I really wouldn't appreciate that.

On 31 August 2016 at 5:21 PM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Sportsmen are basically just human beings and as susceptible as the next person. I have always found that it is the sense of failure / non achievement and the post career scenarios that are the most common, irrespective of the sport. Footballers of course with their outlandish salaries also fall foul of the drink, drug and gambling addictions. Many footballers still get away with those behaviours whereas many other sports people dedicate themselves to fitness and commitment.

Interesting insight!

Old Caley Girl and Davie I am not being judgemental I expressed sympathy for anyone with health issues if you read my post, I just think there are more deserving unheralded people in society who need help who do not have the resources of footballers nor the time to seek professional help themselves nor do the majority fall into the various addictions of footballers due to outlandish salaries (to quote IHE) and spare time on their hands. If you think lying on a couch for hours on end to have a mural imprinted on your back at considerable cost is a good use of time and money then I disagree. The outlandish salaries are due to one Mr Bosman, did his fellow pros contribute to "thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund, not a chance, only two players thanked him personally, which speaks volumes for the self centred football fraternity around which the world revolves, for now.

2 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Old Caley Girl and Davie I am not being judgemental I expressed sympathy for anyone with health issues if you read my post, I just think there are more deserving unheralded people in society who need help who do not have the resources of footballers nor the time to seek professional help themselves nor do the majority fall into the various addictions of footballers due to outlandish salaries (to quote IHE) and spare time on their hands. If you think lying on a couch for hours on end to have a mural imprinted on your back at considerable cost is a good use of time and money then I disagree. The outlandish salaries are due to one Mr Bosman, did his fellow pros contribute to "thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund, not a chance, only two players thanked him personally, which speaks volumes for the self centred football fraternity around which the world revolves, for now.

How someone can honestly think like this, much less type it out, read it, and then post it for others to see is beyond me. Regardless, it's clear you have no understanding of mental health whatsoever, might be worth doing some reading on the subject. Drivel.

Well done to Richie, proud my club is associated with this.

I think someone is missing the point here. Mental health is not something to be judgemental about. The point is that the initiative I mentioned in my original post reaches out to a group of young men who, whilst on the face of it are privileged, are actually very vulnerable. 

One of the lovely things about this is that if the macho world of professional football can be more open about mental health issues, then it is more likely that others will acknowledge and get support for their problems too. Indirectly this should help those who Wynthank15 thinks are more deserving. 

 

Fraid for many the bright lights, the spondoolachs and the constant positive attention can quickly depreciate into dark holes, bankruptcy and constant negative attention. 

23 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Whenever I see a footballer covered in tattoos I think there is someone who neither values his time nor money, same goes for the addictions mentioned above. Top footballers live in a gilded cage and I was pleased to see Matta of Man Utd speak out recently on that very subject saying that they did not live in the real world.

Whilst having sympathy for anyone who is ill, mentally or otherwise, the people living under real pressure are those single parents who through death, divorce or illness find themselves having to bring up a young family whilst holding down a job to put food on the table, the majority just don't have the money or time to indulge in addictions. Perhaps those self centred, self loving footballers could contribute their tattoo money to these heroes for whom each day is a struggle.

If you think I'm being harsh on footballers how many contributed to the " Thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund after his trade union wrote to the players of the top 400 clubs asking them to donate their bonus money from ONE match, which was going to be used to help young footballers who failed to make the grade and ended up on the street. Answers on a very small postcard.

 

13 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Old Caley Girl and Davie I am not being judgemental I expressed sympathy for anyone with health issues if you read my post, I just think there are more deserving unheralded people in society who need help who do not have the resources of footballers nor the time to seek professional help themselves nor do the majority fall into the various addictions of footballers due to outlandish salaries (to quote IHE) and spare time on their hands. If you think lying on a couch for hours on end to have a mural imprinted on your back at considerable cost is a good use of time and money then I disagree. The outlandish salaries are due to one Mr Bosman, did his fellow pros contribute to "thank you Jean Marc Bosman" fund, not a chance, only two players thanked him personally, which speaks volumes for the self centred football fraternity around which the world revolves, for now.

Totally missing the point! Th whole point of the initiative that Richie is involved in is because regardless of the money involved, these players DON'T feel they have anyone to approach with their issues, BECAUSE of the fear of being judged. Because they are perceived to be so well off that how can they possibly be depressed.  Depression and all mental illness can affect anyone at anytime irrespective of your bank balance.  It is also worth remembering that, for example, Mr Tansey does not earn as much as say Mr P Pogba, so although its fair to say that 'all footballers are overpaid' it's unfair to place all in the same category.  It's also worth remembering that whilst the 'average man's' career may last 50 years...most footballers will only be earning 'full-time' money for 15-20 years if they are lucky.  So it's quite perceivable that the fear of this insulated life ending can lead to depression, being out injured for a year may not seem too bad, but missing out on 7% of your career would be pretty daunting, and could affect your earning potential for many years subsequently.

By highlighting an issue that affects one group of society, nobody is trying to say that others don't deserve, it's merely trying to focus on one particular group that is often overlooked in this regard.

Good to see Richie supporting this cause.

And if i choose to spend my hard earned on a tattoo or a rolex or a diamond ring for the wife WTF has that got to do with whether or not i'm depressed? 

Having read the post from wynthank15 I cannot believe that such utter claptrap could be written on this site.  My work brings me into regular contact with Mental Health professionals and they would be appalled that such thinking exists in an "educated" society.  I cannot see what the correlation is between a person's wealth and their mental health as I know of many people who are wealthy but suffer various forms of mental health issues.  Mental health issues are not something that only affect poor people.  

I was however, disappointed to see that no other clubs or managers seemed to be coming out in support of this initiative and it commendable that Richie Foran has given his name to it.  I would have hoped others, such as Neil Lennon, who has documented his own mental health issues would have thrown his weight behind the scheme.

Incidentally it is 1 in 4 and not 1 in 10 people that will suffer from mental health issues at some point in their lives.

Good to see this highlighted but for joe public, I believe there is a short fall in funding with long waiting lists for help, however it appears that other government departments seem to have an abundance of cash to spend on any project that they can think up. 

Fraser 54 I can assure you that I am educated and I did not say that mental health issues only affect poor people, but the poor people with no resources are cast aside while footballers are lauded by society and blessed with wealth, good nutrition , support systems, medical care, first class travel, accommodation etc etc.they live in a gilded cage. I have nothing against our manager supporting player's mental health but bear in mind they are a tiny minority compared to the thousands struggling daily with life itself, unheralded, ignored, even despised. If you have any humanity, can you not understand the point I am making or do you only care about those who live a life of privilege and wealth? I have picked on football players because they have shown themselves to be narcissists, self centred, greedy (anyone remember the van hooidonk quote after being offered £7,000 a week in 1996?) let me remind you, "It may be good enough for the homeless, but not for an international striker" there's the arrogance of someone who has lost all touch with reality and as I've pointed out on this blog these heroes were unwilling even to help their fellow pro who gained them the riches they enjoy today, so go ahead and weep for the pro footballers and I will do the same for the vast army of ordinary Joes.

For goodness sake. No one is disagreeing  that more should be done to help the "ordinary joes". But there are 2 points you seem to miss. Firstly, unless footballers get the help they need then they very soon lose all the privileges they had and become struggling ex-footballers. They become ordinary joes as well.

Secondly, more openness about mental health issues within a high profile group must be good in generating a better understanding of mental health generally. It therefore helps both the footballers and the ordinary joes. It's a win win situation. 

10 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Fraser 54 I can assure you that I am educated and I did not say that mental health issues only affect poor people, but the poor people with no resources are cast aside while footballers are lauded by society and blessed with wealth, good nutrition , support systems, medical care, first class travel, accommodation etc etc.they live in a gilded cage. I have nothing against our manager supporting player's mental health but bear in mind they are a tiny minority compared to the thousands struggling daily with life itself, unheralded, ignored, even despised. If you have any humanity, can you not understand the point I am making or do you only care about those who live a life of privilege and wealth? I have picked on football players because they have shown themselves to be narcissists, self centred, greedy (anyone remember the van hooidonk quote after being offered £7,000 a week in 1996?) let me remind you, "It may be good enough for the homeless, but not for an international striker" there's the arrogance of someone who has lost all touch with reality and as I've pointed out on this blog these heroes were unwilling even to help their fellow pro who gained them the riches they enjoy today, so go ahead and weep for the pro footballers and I will do the same for the vast army of ordinary Joes.

I red dotted you.

11 hours ago, wynthank15 said:

Fraser 54 I can assure you that I am educated and I did not say that mental health issues only affect poor people, but the poor people with no resources are cast aside while footballers are lauded by society and blessed with wealth, good nutrition , support systems, medical care, first class travel, accommodation etc etc.they live in a gilded cage. I have nothing against our manager supporting player's mental health but bear in mind they are a tiny minority compared to the thousands struggling daily with life itself, unheralded, ignored, even despised. If you have any humanity, can you not understand the point I am making or do you only care about those who live a life of privilege and wealth? I have picked on football players because they have shown themselves to be narcissists, self centred, greedy (anyone remember the van hooidonk quote after being offered £7,000 a week in 1996?) let me remind you, "It may be good enough for the homeless, but not for an international striker" there's the arrogance of someone who has lost all touch with reality and as I've pointed out on this blog these heroes were unwilling even to help their fellow pro who gained them the riches they enjoy today, so go ahead and weep for the pro footballers and I will do the same for the vast army of ordinary Joes.

I have a rule mate, it's stop digging when you are in a hole. I can tell you (with some authority) that 1 in 10 people will develope a mental health problem at some point in their life. This is regardless of socioeconomic status or education. There should be services in place for all of these people but there are specialised areas that require a distinct focus such as age related mental health, addiction issues and gender specific issues to name a few. Addressing one does not mean that you ignore everything else (which is what you are coming across as saying) you simply do what you can. That is laudable. 

The subject of mental health in association football has been described as a "stigma" in the sport, although other professional sports are also affected. Professional footballers suffer more from symptoms of depression and anxiety than the general public. Of the 826 who completed players' union Fifpro's questionnaire, 38% of current players and 35% of ex-professionals said they suffered with problems. Half of those questioned played or play at the highest level in their country. The data shows that the rates of depression and/or anxiety in both current and former professional footballers appear to be much higher than those of groups controlled to represent the general populous, and even other elite athletes

Ex-professional players Robert Enke and Gary Speed have committed suicide; both suffered from depression. Enke threw himself in front of a train. Speed hanged himself. Clarke Carlisle stated that he contemplated suicide after becoming injured early in his career, and in December 2014 attempted suicide due to the severe depression he was suffering from. Sebastian Deisler was hospitalized after being unable to cope with the pressures of professional football, eventually retiring from the sport at the age of 27. Ex-player Mickey Bennett set up an organization called Unique Sports Counselling to help footballers deal with mental health issues.In February 2016 Steve Harper spoke out about his mental health problems while in between clubs.

By some estimates as many as three in five former players will be declared bankrupt, often blighted by bad financial advice. At least 150 ex-professionals are currently in prison. More than 700 a year end up being pitched out of the sport in their 20s after failing to win a new contract.

On ‎9‎/‎6‎/‎2016 at 10:03 AM, IMMORTAL HOWDEN ENDER said:

Fraid for many the bright lights, the spondoolachs and the constant positive attention can quickly depreciate into dark holes, bankruptcy and constant negative attention. 

George Best, Paul Gascoine to name just two.