I think all football fans agree that when it comes to their particular club they will support them and no other. No matter what adversity they face, you will stay with them no matter what. Very rarely would you find a Manchester City fan agree with one that supports Manchester United. The same with Liverpool and Everton, Newcastle and Sunderland or whichever rivalry you care to choose.
In times of mourning though is one of those rare times where club colours are put aside and the footballing community as a whole comes together to reflect on a tragedy. Justin Fashanu's suicide in 1998 was met with disbelief and since then we have lost numerous players before their time. Dale Roberts the Rushden and Diamond goalkeeper took his own life last year after discovering his fiancee's affair with teammate Paul Terry. Yes John's brother! Roberts was found dead at his home, he was 24.
Two years ago, the German Goalkeeper, Robert Enke took his own life as he lept infront of an express train in Hannover. In Enkes case it was depression that he was dealing with privately that led to the German Internationals death. His wife Teresa stated afterwards that she had tried to be there for him, driving him to training sessions but that in the end he didn't want help from anyone and didn't go public with it for fear his young daughter would be taken away from him.
Today we loose another player, Wales manager Gary Speed. As yet it is too early to know what led to his apparent suicide. All the official releases state that the police do not suspect foul play. Maybe he was battling with depression maybe it was something else. If it was depression then maybe it is time that people took seriously the disease and realise that it can affect anyone.
So what is depression? True clinical depression is a mood disorder in which feelings of sadness, loss, anger or frustration interfere with everyday life for weeks or more. Some types can run in families but if your family has no history of depression that doesn't make you immune.
I was once told that when you have a good experience a positive reaction happens in the brain. Endorphins are released giving you that natural high, so when your child is born for example you get that rush. But, is there also a chemical released when bad or stressful things happen that changes your mood balance? Neurotransmitters are chemicals in the brain that regulate mood. Sometimes a person with depression may not produce enough and a tragedy can significantly alter their way of thinking and reasoning.
Now I am not saying that Gary Speed suffered from depression but we know Stan Collymore has come out and said he does and we know that Robert Enke certainly did. In fact his was not helped by the loss of his first daughter three years earlier from a heart condition, she was only 2. Was that the start of the downward spiral with Enke especially with the reason his widow gave for Robert not going public with his depression was that he thought that would result in the loss of his other daughter.
In Gary Speed Wales, and football as a whole have lost a great ambassador for the game. Numerous fans, colleagues and bosses recount how honest and down to earth he was and how he was the exact mold of what a professional sportsman should be. He started at Leeds where would spend eight seasons before leaving for Everton. With Leeds he won the Division One title (now Premiership) in the 1991/92 season two seasons after securing promotion as Champions from the old Second Division. Speed also won the FA Charity Shield while at Leeds but lost out on the League cup to an Aston Villa side. In a weird footballing coincidence it would be the Welsh team, Swansea to play Villa in the first game today after the news of Speeds death.
That would be all the domestic trophy haul he would get as a player but was an FA Cup Finalist twice in 98 and 99 with Newcastle and appeared on the losing League Cup Final side once more while at Bolton. His final playing move would be to Sheffield United in 2008 before taking charge in 2010. However Speed was only there a matter of eighteen games before his National side came calling. It was less than a year in the game and having masterminded Wales into winning half their games all looked good, until news broke this morning that Gary Speed had been found dead. He was 42 years old and leaves behind a wife and two children.
Written By: PA Cityboy (www.facebook.com/pacityboy)
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