30 Jan 2017 15:27:30
Hi Eds

Bit of a general football question if I may. A local lower league club I used to work for has just started letting a late 30's ex player train with them again. This ex player is a cult name most people would recognise here but since his career ended (slightly prematurely) he's been on a personal downhill slide; substance abuse, wife moved out etc. It was very unexpected for those of us who knew him back in the day (which in fairness was a while ago now) when he was always the nicest, most normal, down to earth guy at the club.

I know those sorts of issues are a risk for retiring athletes who lived for their sport and suddenly are without any of the direction or rush that it brings. But are football clubs in general (and I'm sure there are extreme cases at both ends of the spectrum) making proactive steps to help players settle into retirement from the sport and transition away from that life? Or do they exist in a space where as soon as your contract is over unless you have another way to be useful, they don't want to hear your name again?

Cheers

{Ed002's Note - Players are transient and you spend the last part of their career at a lower league club - it cannot be expected that such a club eases a player in to retirement. Players get a lot of support nowadays and the PFA provides help.}

1.) 30 Jan 2017
30 Jan 2017 15:45:57
PFA have help there but you have to go looking for it, they do not go out of their way to promote or help this with ex players. in some cases it could be at a point where the demons are already in the system and you have to be at rock bottom before the system steps into help.

2.) 30 Jan 2017
30 Jan 2017 20:42:25
Without sounding heartless but why should footballers get this help? Plenty of people have stressful jobs and get no help, nurses, soldiers, teachers etc.

3.) 31 Jan 2017
31 Jan 2017 08:52:39
There needs to be more sympathy and awareness of mental health issues in all walks of life.

4.) 31 Jan 2017
31 Jan 2017 12:01:46
Thanks Ed002. More of a curiosity than an expectation.

Mikey - all of those people have help so I don't know what you're on about. There are trade unions, charities, membership organisations and government funds that literally exist for the sole reason of helping those people. Don't make the mistake of thinking that every footballer is rich and can afford all the help they need - a very small percent actually end up 'rich' - most probably earn a better than average wage for most of their career, but when their career is 15-20 years max and finish it with little education to move onto something else, that 'better than average' wage needs to cover them for a very long time. I had a drink with a player for this club at their retirement party, he graduated from the spurs academy but spent almost his whole career in League 1 and the Championship. He told me he never earned more than £75k/ y and most of the time it was closer to £40k/ y. Sounds like good money but as he pointed out, he might never earn more than minimum wage in his life (being a more or less unknown footballer with a O-level in PE doesn't exactly quality you for many jobs) means he'll probably earn significantly less over his career than the average person on the street will.

99 - it's good to hear that the PFA does have a recognised function in that.