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Pioneering mental health training changing ways in Scottish football
GLASGOW, Aug 17, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Football managers often have a fearsome
reputation with tales of fiery dressing room confrontations almost as
legendary as the games on the park.
But a change is underway in Scotland where bosses have historically had a
particularly infamous reputation — from the boot throwing “hairdryer”
tirades of Alex Ferguson to the menacing growl of Jock Stein.
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) is offering its managers
unique mental health awareness courses, sparked by the suicide of a promising
player whose career was cut short by injury.
Chris Mitchell struggled to adapt to life without football and took his own
life in 2016 at the age of 27.
Choking back tears, Mitchell’s dad Philip told AFP: “He looked at me, and
he said, ‘I’m done dad, I’m done.'”
The family were aware that Chris was contemplating suicide, but there was
no structure in place to support players.
“We came to the conclusion that there was very little in place to help
people with mental health issues in Scottish professional football,” added
Philip.
As a result, the Chris Mitchell Foundation was founded to raise awareness
of mental health issues in the sport.
Mark Fleming, the SPFL chaplain who runs the course, has already been asked
to do bespoke training at top flight clubs like Celtic and Rangers and
further afield in Liverpool.
He’s also giving mental health training to Scottish Rugby and would like to
see it expanded to other sports — particularly after the apparent suicide of
young British snowboarder Ellie Soutter in July.
Fleming told AFP: “Football is, by nature, ruthless and brutal — but most
of the managers I know are not.
“Historically, some managers thought that by denigrating their players, by
shouting at them, verbally abusing them, they might motivate them to a better
performance.”
– Southgate a ‘great example’ –
Attitudes are changing within the game. Most notably England manager Gareth
Southgate earned plaudits for the way he handled left-back Danny Rose’s
revelation before the World Cup he had suffered from depression.
“Nowadays managers recognise that most people flourish under encouragement
and affirmation, and I think Gareth Southgate is a great example of that,”
added Fleming.
Eddie Wolecki Black, 53, was one of many managers who were impressed by
Southgate’s congenial style, which motivated England towards its greatest
World Cup performance in almost 30 years.
“It’s good when somebody works like that and is successful, because it
shows you don’t have to be kicking boots at people, throwing things at the
wall or smashing teacups,” Black told AFP.
Black saw the impact of aggressive management as a trainee coach under
Dundee United’s fearsome Jim McLean — whose management career ended when he
punched a BBC journalist.
“Jim McLean was known for his ferocious temper,” said Black.
“I don’t think you could get away with it these days. I think that style of
management is gone.”
Black also knows about the mental anguish of a career threatening
disability. A stroke suffered at half time during a game in 2016 left him
paralysed down his left hand side.
He was told he would never walk or talk again — but after over œ15,000 of
treatment in the US he went back to work as manager of Motherwell Ladies and
has just signed on to manage Celtic Women.
Black said he didn’t know how do deal with mental illness — in his players
or in himself — until he attended the SPFL Trust course.
“I’m now convinced I suffered from depression when I got back to work, but
I was in total denial,” he said.
“I was reading through the flip chart and I was putting names of players
that I know against some of the conditions, so I’ve got a few issues to deal
with when I go back to the clubs.”
BSS/AFP/MRI/0826 hrs