Scary stuff and you can imagine that being stuck in a hotel for so long with no real mates close by can be pretty hellish if you're suffering from depression As I read the article I was hoping Nathan Ecclestone didn't feel the same way cos when he was stuck in the hotel everyone kept mentioning that he seemed bored rigid through his tweets Good luck Leon and hopefully by him sharing his experience some other players and people will look to receive help rather than bottle up all that anguish
Seems to be a common thread (McKenzie, Robert Enke) in that they hide their suffering so well that when it all becomes too much to bare and they act upon it there is shock and surprise from friends and family.
Very sad, and I hope he does well in his future career - in or out of football
Seems to be a common thread (McKenzie, Robert Enke) in that they hide their suffering so well that when it all becomes too much to bare and they act upon it there is shock and surprise from friends and family. Very sad, and I hope he does well in his future career - in or out of football
Its true, you hide it from those you care about because you dont want to worry them, very brave of Leon to speak out like this.
Terrible, I hope this kind of thing gives fans a bit of pause for thought when they're demanding clubs get shot of some "waste of space" or screaming abuse at some "judas" because he's trying to better himself. I'm not saying players are above criticism, but it should be done in the context of them as human beings with the same frailties and ambitions as the rest of us.
I agree with Stig in that when he actually played he did look a good player . The problem was he was never fit enough . A fully fit Leon Mckenzie could have made all the difference for us that season.
My ex boss lives next door to him in Northampton and always spoke of him as cheery , I believe the original intention was for the family to move back to London and Leon saw a move to Charlton as a way of making that happen . Then he couldn't sell in Northampton so I guess thats where the depression set in because what he may have thought of as a temporary solution ended up becoming semi permanent .
Young men are the group at most risk of suicide. A very sobering thought indeed that a young man with apparently everything going for him can consider life not worth living.
No-one would have been told, patient confidentiality and all that. What was horribly wrong was that he was just discharged from hospital the next day. Generally good paractice wise, attempted suicides are asked to stay in a mental hospital voluntarily for a week or they will section the person. Brave of Leon to 'come out'. Hopefully it will make some a bit more circumspect about hurling abuse at players, but I'm not holding my breath.
During the years i was working in 5 star hotels we were always told to chat to guests and it was known that people working/staying a long way from home do get isolated/lonely and down. We had to section two people, very sad.
Met him at the end of season dinner...had a long chat with him and couldnt believe how friendly he was.......lovely fella, left me with a really good impression, I wish him all the best.
@swisdom I think it would published as a heart attack but i have heard he took his own life.
That's right, someone who worked at the club back then confirmed to me it was suicide, he had all sorts of problems off the field.
I met him once at the training ground, he was a really lovely bloke. We had just played Millwall and Palace at Selhurst and he told me that Cascarino was "a right bloody handful" and said he was much tougher to mark than Ian Wright!
Young men are the group at most risk of suicide. A very sobering thought indeed that a young man with apparently everything going for him can consider life not worth living.
Its true. Women/girls attempt suicide far more often, but boys/men succeed far more often.
It's something about the way men and women internalise/externalise anger/aggression but I can't remember which way round it is and why
Shocking stuff. It sounds like the club didn;t do as much as it could have either which is also shocking. We are a family club and have a reputation for breaking down social exclusion. Maybe depression is something to focus on in the future?
Its also not the first time that one of the players has talked about the problems associated with being kept at the hotel in Bexleyheath for long periods of time. Maybe the club should invest in a property for these players rather than alwyas sticking them in a hotel, and a rather business-style short-stay hotel at that.
We had Leon & Nicky Bailey to a Q & A meeting in Gravesend and found Leon to be an intelligent young man, albeit a fairly quiet one. He really was desperate to play and we made a large banner for the next home match saying " Parky - give Leon a chance" which Betty Hutchins displayed at the front of the North Upper. He did acknowldege it but alas wasn't given many minutes on the pitch before he left the Club.
Hope he's back on track now and happier with his life.
Shocking stuff. It sounds like the club didn;t do as much as it could have either which is also shocking. We are a family club and have a reputation for breaking down social exclusion. Maybe depression is something to focus on in the future?
Its also not the first time that one of the players has talked about the problems associated with being kept at the hotel in Bexleyheath for long periods of time. Maybe the club should invest in a property for these players rather than alwyas sticking them in a hotel, and a rather business-style short-stay hotel at that.
Back in the day players went into digs or club houses.
Like many others on here, met him whilst he was with us and he was so friendly and personable to everyone. I remember discussing with him a banner someone had unfurled at a game from the North Upper which read "Parky, give Leon a chance' and he was genuinley touched by that.
Suprised to read the article this morning, hope he's come out the other side alright and it's all behind him.
I'm not sure young players getting too much too early helps a lot of them. You have the lifestyle you may have always dreamed about but not the experience to make the right decisions. With the money you can make- there is the opportunity to set yourself up for life but planning for the future doesn't always come high in some's priorities. Then you are only a serious injury away from early retirement - you can see the real pressures and when you reach 30 you can see the end of a career and maybe not what you can do after it. Very sad and I wish Leon McKenzie all the best.
Comments
As I read the article I was hoping Nathan Ecclestone didn't feel the same way cos when he was stuck in the hotel everyone kept mentioning that he seemed bored rigid through his tweets
Good luck Leon and hopefully by him sharing his experience some other players and people will look to receive help rather than bottle up all that anguish
Out of all the players there he wa without doubt the most friendly and approachable
Very sad, and I hope he does well in his future career - in or out of football
Fine lines and all that.
Hope he succeeds in his music venture.
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/news/German-suicide-ref-Babak-Rafati-diagnosed-with-depression-article834712.html
I agree with Stig in that when he actually played he did look a good player . The problem was he was never fit enough . A fully fit Leon Mckenzie could have made all the difference for us that season.
My ex boss lives next door to him in Northampton and always spoke of him as cheery , I believe the original intention was for the family to move back to London and Leon saw a move to Charlton as a way of making that happen . Then he couldn't sell in Northampton so I guess thats where the depression set in because what he may have thought of as a temporary solution ended up becoming semi permanent .
I wish him well.
That's right, someone who worked at the club back then confirmed to me it was suicide, he had all sorts of problems off the field.
I met him once at the training ground, he was a really lovely bloke. We had just played Millwall and Palace at Selhurst and he told me that Cascarino was "a right bloody handful" and said he was much tougher to mark than Ian Wright!
Its true. Women/girls attempt suicide far more often, but boys/men succeed far more often.
It's something about the way men and women internalise/externalise anger/aggression but I can't remember which way round it is and why
Shocking stuff. It sounds like the club didn;t do as much as it could have either which is also shocking. We are a family club and have a reputation for breaking down social exclusion. Maybe depression is something to focus on in the future?
Its also not the first time that one of the players has talked about the problems associated with being kept at the hotel in Bexleyheath for long periods of time. Maybe the club should invest in a property for these players rather than alwyas sticking them in a hotel, and a rather business-style short-stay hotel at that.
Very sad.
We had Leon & Nicky Bailey to a Q & A meeting in Gravesend and found Leon to be an intelligent young man, albeit a fairly quiet one. He really was desperate to play and we made a large banner for the next home match saying " Parky - give Leon a chance" which Betty Hutchins displayed at the front of the North Upper. He did acknowldege it but alas wasn't given many minutes on the pitch before he left the Club.
Hope he's back on track now and happier with his life.
Good luck for the future, Leon.
Back in the day players went into digs or club houses.
Different times though.
Like many others on here, met him whilst he was with us and he was so friendly and personable to everyone. I remember discussing with him a banner someone had unfurled at a game from the North Upper which read "Parky, give Leon a chance' and he was genuinley touched by that.
Suprised to read the article this morning, hope he's come out the other side alright and it's all behind him.