FOOTBALL ARENA: November 2011

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

PFA to send depression advice to 50,000 ex-players

The circumstances surrounding Speed's death are not yet known

The Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) will send a booklet on handling depression to all ex-players following Gary Speed's death.

The 36-page guidebook was circulated to the union's 4,000 members this season.

While it is not known whether Speed was suffering from depression, the PFA is keen to act.

And 50,000 former professionals will receive the booklet as PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor wants to "let people know there is a support system".

The debate around mental health has grown since Germany goalkeeper Robert Enke took his own life in late 2009 and Rushden & Diamonds keeper Dale Roberts killed himself a year later.

It's very, very hard for players to know where to go and who to turn to when they start feeling rough

Susannah StrongAuthor, 'The Footballers' Guidebook'

Speed, the Wales manager and former Leeds, Newcastle and Wales midfielder, was found hanged at his home on Sunday, aged 42.

The booklet, entitled 'The Footballers' Guidebook', contains advice, helpline numbers and case studies on suffering depression from Andy Cole, Neil Lennon, Stan Collymore, Paul Gascoigne and PFA chairman Clarke Carlisle.

But Susannah Strong, the author, admitted she found it "really, really difficult to get any footballer to talk about mental health".

She told BBC Sports World Have Your Say: "There's a huge amount of stigma and taboo around mental health.

"It's an extraordinary sport where you get people to the absolute physical perfection - and yet there's no attention paid whatsoever to the mental health of footballers.

THE FOOTBALLERS' GUIDEBOOK: CASE STUDIES

Andy Cole
Neil Lennon
Stan Collymore
Paul Gascoigne
Clarke Carlisle

"It's very, very hard for players to know where to go and who to turn to when they start feeling rough."

Peter Kay, the chief executive of the Sporting Chance clinic which helps sportsmen fight addiction,told the BBC that 10 players have been in touch since Speed's death.

"There has been a tremendous outpouring of emotion this week, an indication that Gary was regarded as one of our finest," said Taylor.

"This booklet went out at the beginning of the season after the deaths of Robert Enke and Dale Roberts, and after what has happened with Gary we have decided to widen its circulation.

"Mental problems have to be treated with understanding. Players can have panic attacks, fail to come terms with leaving football, finishing as a player, or the pressures of being a manager.

"We want to do all we can to try to avoid another tragedy like this."

The guidebook is designed to be easy to read and contains cartoons by Roy of the Rovers illustrator Paul Trevillion.

However, Strong warned: "Our booklet is a start but there's so much more to be done.

"The thing now is about prevention. It needs to be ok to talk about mental health.

"There needs to be more communication. That needs to start before people become unwell, right at the beginning.
"

BREAKING NEWS - Manager Steve Bruce leaves Sunderland

Sunderland have parted company with manager Steve Bruce.

Bruce becomes the first Premier League manager to leave his job this season after two wins in the first 13 games.

"It is my job to act in the best interests of our football club and I can assure everyone that this is not a decision that I have taken lightly," chairman Ellis Short said.

"Sadly results this season have simply not been good enough and I feel the time is right to make a change."

More to follow.

Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Gary Speed death: Warrington inquest adjourned

Tributes left at Leeds, one of Gary Speed's former clubs

The hearing was adjourned in Warrington, Cheshire, following the post-mortem examination on Speed, 42. An inquest on Wales football manager Gary Speed has been told that his wife found him hanged at home.

The inquest was told that Louise Speed found the body just before 7am on Sunday and called the ambulance service, but police are not treating the death as suspicious.

The inquest on the ex-Premier League player was adjourned to 30 January.

The hearing was also told that reports are being awaited from the pathologist.

Earlier, politicians in the Welsh assembly observed a minute's silence in his honour after the discovery of his body on Sunday stunned Wales and the sporting world.

A tribute will also be staged before Tuesday night's cup tie between Cardiff City and Blackburn Rovers.

In a statement issued on Monday afternoon Speed's family said they had been overwhelmed by the support they have received following his death.

AC Milan want Carlos Tevez on loan

AC MILAN have told Manchester City they are only interested in signing Carlos Tevez on loan in January.

The reigning Serie A champions have been linked with a£30million swoop for the Argentine when the transfer window re-opens in five weeks' time.

But Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has ruled out a permanent move — for the time being at least.

He said: "Whoever comes to Milan in January will be on loan for free, with an option to make that stay permanent."

Milan are in need of new recruits up front while Italian star Antonio Cassano recovers from heart surgery.

Tevez has not been named in a City squad since his bust-up with boss Roberto Mancini during their Champions League defeat to Bayern Munich in September.

But Milan reckon the 27-year-old could be the solution to their lack of striking options.

Speaking to Gazzetta Dello Sport, Galliani added: "Tevez? We will see, there's time. Probably if we had not had Cassano's situation, we would remain as we are."

Tevez's advisor Kia Joorabchian held talks with AC Milan in Italy last week.

However, SunSport understands City are only interested in a direct sale, rather than a loan deal.

Why, Speedo, didn’t you give me a call if you were feeling so bad? - Alan Shearer

THE question I keep asking myself, and have done so since I heard the dreadful news, is: Why?

"Why Speedo didn't you give me or one of your other close mates a ring if you were feeling so bad?"

We'll never know the answer to that question, but what I do know is that Gary Speed was the type of person you could always go to if you had a problem.

He would be there to help or advise and provide a shoulder to lean on. Nothing was too much trouble for him.

Why he couldn't have picked up the phone for a chat in those moments before he did what he did, I'll never know. None of us will know now.

I have agonised a lot about writing this article and still don't know whether I am doing the right thing. I am still too numb to think straight.

But I suppose I want people to know what my mate Speedo was like.

A lot of people have paid tribute to him and I'm adding my own words.

I just hope, now, somehow he is able to see and hear how much people loved him, admired him, and respected him.

Maybe if he had known before...

I was with him on Saturday for most of the day.

We were at the BBC Match of the Day studios watching the Stoke v Blackburn game with Gary McAllister and Mark Lawrenson.

There was not an inkling of anything being wrong with him. He was his usual, bright, cheerful, mickey-taking self.

We talked about going on holiday to Portugal together with our families next year as we did last summer. We made arrangements for him to come and stay at my house next Friday.

We were attending a charity dinner in Newcastle and another in London on Saturday and planned to go down on the train.

When we parted on Saturday, we shook hands and he made some jokey remark about my golf. "See you next weekend" were his last words to me.

They were not the words of someone who was planning something so awful.

He was the same Speedo I had known for so many happy years.

On Sunday morning I had several missed phone calls from one of his other mates, who eventually got through to me and told me what had happened.

At first I thought he was winding me up and told him to stop messing around and not to joke about things like that.

I was expecting Speedo to ring up 10 minutes later and say it was all a big wind-up.

Then the reality sunk in that it was true but I am still struggling to cope with what has happened.

This is the sort of thing that you read about with other people — not one of your best mates.

I played against Speedo many times during my career and always rated him as a player. But I never really got to know him until Kenny Dalglish signed him for Newcastle.

He was a great acquisition for the team and gave the whole club a lift.

I warmed to him straightaway. As soon as he walked into the dressing room he lit up the place.

He was a man's man, a proper bloke, a genuine type, always positive, good for a laugh and someone you could always depend on.

If you asked for a favour he would always do it.

If you arranged to meet him at seven o'clock he would be there at five to seven. He was Mr Reliable.

In football, because of the nature of the game, there are bound to be fall-outs and arguments and feuds that develop over the years.

But I never ever heard anyone say a bad thing about Gary Speed. He never fell out with anyone

He was still a young, handsome man building on the knowledge he had gained in his playing career and making such a great job of managing the Welsh national team.

He had so much to look forward to.

I was looking forward to another fun weekend with my mate.

All I can do is sit around and try to make some sense of all this.

But we shouldn't be talking about our personal feelings or football's loss.

We should be thinking of his wife, his two sons and his mum and dad. They will be feeling the loss more than any of us.

I am struggling to put all my feelings into words now. I keep coming back to the same question. Why?

Why, Speedo didn't you just give one of us a ring?

Drogba to quit Chelsea after snubbing new deal

DIDIER DROGBA is ready to walk away from Chelsea after rejecting a January move to AC Milan.

The striker, 33, is in the final season of his £120,000-a-week contract and has turned down a 12-month extension.

Now he is poised to quit Stamford Bridge as a free agent next summer for a lucrative switch to Russia or Qatar.

Drogba's agent Thierno Seydi, based in Senegal, claimed last night: "Didier has had the offer of a one-year extension from Chelsea. That does not suit us.

"We know what we want, where we want to go and what offers we have.

"AC Milan came in for Didier on loan with an option to buy but I said 'No' straight away. Their offer did not interest us.

"At Didier's age, he has nothing left to prove as a player. He will go where he is offered the most money.

"It could be the United States, Russia, Qatar or somewhere else in Asia.

"Once you are well into your thirties you have to go to a club where you can be certain you'll be able to pay your bills.

"LA Galaxy are a possibility among many others. He has been linked with Anzhi Makhachkala in Russia, as they pay well.

"But neither Didier nor I have had an offer from them."

Drogba was signed by Jose Mourinho from Marseille for £24million back in 2004 and has scored 146 goals in his seven years at Chelsea.

News of Drogba's impending departure comes as former Blues favourite Marcel Desailly claims the club is being torn apart under Andre Villas-Boas by dressing-room cliques.

The World Cup-winning Frenchman said: "There are quite a few mini-clans at the club.

"The squad is exploding and people who could hold things together in the past are having to deal with personal worries. You sense total disorganisation at Chelsea right now. It is collectively falling apart."

Monday, 28 November 2011

Gary Speed: Tributes pour in for Wales manager who has died aged 42

Gary Speed obituary

Tributes have been pouring in for Wales manager Gary Speed who has been found dead at his home near Chester.

The 42-year-old former midfielder won 85 international caps and had been national team boss for 10 games.

"I'm devastated. He was a privilege to work alongside and call a friend," ex-Wales boss Mark Hughes told BBC Sport. "My thoughts are with his family."

Bobby Gould, who made Speed Wales captain, added: "I'm stunned and a few tears have been shed. It is so sad."

Cheshire Police confirmed Speed's body was discovered at 0708 GMT at his home in Huntington, Chester, and said there were no suspicious circumstances. Sources said that he had been found hanged.

Speed made his name at Leeds and played a key role as United won the First Division title in 1992 - the season before it was rebranded the Premier League.

The midfielder went on to play for Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United before being appointed manager of Wales in December 2010 after retiring as a player in May last year.

Wales' 4-1 friendly win over Norway on 12 November represented a third successive win for Speed's team - his fifth in 10 games as manager.

Manchester United midfielder Ryan Giggs, who played alongside Speed with Wales for 13 years, said he was "totally devastated."

"Gary Speed was one of the nicest men in football and someone I am honoured to call a team-mate and friend," he said.

"Words cannot begin to describe how sad I feel at hearing this awful news."

Howard Wilkinson, his manager at Leeds, told BBC Radio 5 live: "He had so much to offer as a person and as a sportsman.

"I just find it unbelievable. I cannot start to try to understand what his family are going through.

PHIL MCNULTY'S BLOG

The sense of shock that cloaked the entire football community after the death of Wales manager Gary Speed was an accurate measure of the esteem in which he was held

GARY SPEED FACTFILE

1969: Born 8 Sep, Mancot, Flintshire
1988: Signs with Leeds and makes debut age 19
1992: Wins First Division with Leeds. Makes 312 apps
1996: Moves to Everton for £3.5m. Makes 65 apps
1998: Joins Newcastle for £5.5m. Loses two FA Cup finals
2004: Joins Bolton for £750,000
2006: First player to make 500 Premier League appearances
2007: Elevated to first-team coach at Bolton. Becomes only player to have scored in every Premier League season (later matched by Ryan Giggs). Joins Sheffield United on loan
2008: Joins Sheffield United permanently for £250,000 and moves into coaching
2010: Retires from playing, appointed Sheffield United manager in August. Becomes Wales boss in December
2011: Wales defeat Norway 4-1 in November, his fifth win in 10 matches

"Thoughts are with Gary's family and friends at this distressing time."

After the news of his death broke, there was a minute's applause as a mark of respect from fans before Welsh club Swansea played Aston Villa on Sunday at the Liberty Stadium.

Speed's close friend Craig Bellamy was withdrawn from Liverpool's squad to play Manchester City at Anfield.

Reds manager Kenny Dalglish: "Gary was like a mentor to Craig Bellamy. He was very upset and I took the decision to say that there are more important things than playing a football match and it was better for him to have the day off."

Dalglish signed Speed from Everton in 1998 when he was Newcastle United manager.

He said: "I knew Gary Speed as a fantastic footballer but more important than that he was a decent man and there will be a lot of people very saddened by what has happened.

"The most important people at the moment are his wife and two boys and your heart goes out to them.

"They will need as much support as they can possibly get in the immediate future and I'm sure they will get that because he had an awful lot of friends because he was a good, decent guy."

Speed became Sheffield United coach after finishing his playing career at Bramall Lane but within four months he succeeded John Toshack as national manager.

Speed's assistant coach Osian Roberts paid an emotional tribute, saying: "It is tragic news, totally unbelievable.

"We looked forward to Wales camps because he led by example from the front, making people work harder, demanding more and everyone wanted to do their best because he was a generous person.

"I know I speak for everyone when I say everyone in the Welsh camp is devastated."

Owen pays tribute to Speed on MOTD3

The Football Association of Wales (FAW) chief executive Jonathan Fordsaid: "I, and all of the football family of Wales, am devastated by the news of Gary's passing. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife and family at this difficult time."

FAW president Phil Pritchard added: 'I am completely shocked by this terrible news and my thoughts are with his family. We will do whatever we can as an association to help them in this difficult time. All our thoughts are with his family and this sad time."

Speed played for Wales over a period of 14 years and his former team-mate Dean Saunders said: "I just can't believe it. I spoke to him last week.

"We roomed together all of our careers with Wales. I just can't get my head around it. It's incredible.

"He's so level-headed. You never saw him down in the dumps. He was just a really nice fella. I'm just thinking about his wife and his lads."

Speed, who was awarded the MBE in the 2010 Birthday Honours, leaves a wife and two children.

Robbie Savage, who is currently appearing on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing programme, also played with Speed for Wales and toldBBC Sport: "I spoke to him yesterday and he was in high spirits. I just can't believe it. He was my mate and he's gone.

"He's left two gorgeous kids behind. Gary was [a professional]. He was one of the fittest guys. He looked after his body.

Savage sheds tears for 'mate' Gary Speed

"He was a great team-mate, a great manager.

"He was joking yesterday [on Saturday about Robbie being on Strictly Come Dancing], saying don't get a two off Craig [Revel Horwood]."

Another of Speed's former national team-mates Mark Bowen told BBC Sport: "Like the rest of the footballing community I am totally stunned. My thoughts are with his family it's hard to put into words.

"He trained like he played, he gave it 100%, he lived his life right off the field in terms of nutrition, which was new to a lot of us in those days.

"I'll remember seeing the smiling look on his face in the tunnel after the last Wales game."

Speed appointed Aaron Ramsey as Wales' youngest captain and the Arsenal midfielder tweeted: "I was given the tragic news this morning. To say I am devastated is an understatement.

"My thoughts and prayers go out to Gary's family and friends. Today the world has lost a great football manager but even more sadly a great man. He will be missed by all."

BBC Sport's Match of the Day pundit Alan Shearer told BBC Sport: "Gary was a magnificent person, bright, fun and a wonderful family man - he lit up every room he walked into. I am proud to have been his friend and will miss him dreadfully."

Speed had appeared on BBC's Football Focus programme on Saturday with presenter Dan Walker, who tweeted: "Staggered by the news of Gary Speed's death. Was with him for much of yesterday [Saturday]. I genuinely cannot believe it. Thoughts with his family.

"Gary was full of life yesterday talking about his kids, bright future with Wales, Twitter, golf. Can't get my head round it. So sad."

As tributes continued to come in from the world of sport and beyond, a Downing Street spokesman said: "The Prime Minister was deeply saddened to hear of the death of Gary Speed, who was greatly respected by football fans across the country both as a player and manager.

"The Prime Minister's thoughts are with his family and friends on this very sad day for fans everywhere, especially in Wales."