BIG MENTAL HEALTH PLAY FROM ARSENAL
Let’s start off with a bit of fabulous community work Arsenal are doing on suicide prevention.
Now, personal note here, I know more people that have lost their lives to suicide than cancer… all of them men, not an insignificant number. None of them were expected. All of them were people I perceived to be archetypal strongmen. Some of them had young families. Then one day, you just find out that person you worked next to for years is no longer with you.
Men are shit at talking to each other. Mental health chat in the culture is always soft lines like ‘it’s ok not to be ok’ that literally no one going through it has ever looked at and said, oh ok, wow, thanks for tweeting that. Well, it certainly hasn’t helped me in downtimes. That’s why I love this Arsenal campaign. It’s not an emotional viral video, it’s people like Vinai V and Roman Kemp taking an idea, with an action, to all the Premier League clubs, and getting a pilot to have an actual resource available at games.
‘A North London NHS Foundation Trust practitioner will be based at The Arsenal Hub every Premier League match day during the 2025/26 season. The practitioner will be on hand to have confidential conversations with supporters in need of help. No appointment is required; supporters can walk into The Arsenal Hub where they will be greeted by staff. The practitioner will also have information available on local services that can be accessed where needed.
The Arsenal Hub is directly next to Emirates Stadium at 56 Benwell Road, N7 7BA. The practitioner will be available two hours before kick-off, during the game and for one hour after the game finishes.
This match-day drop-in service will be available from the Manchester City game on Sunday 21st September.’
I cannot tell you how much I absolutely love this idea. Action. Not pithy lines. Put something of use in a place people love. Brilliant. If this saves one life, it was worth it. My guess, it’ll do a lot more good than that. Stunning. I’m getting emotional typing this. It’s so important.
I’ve been reading a book called Lost Connections, recommended by a Le Grove reader. It’s a very well-researched book that unpacks some of the root causes of mental health issues. The thesis I most connect to right now is that we were part of tribes where social connections were linked to survival. Now we’ve stopped hanging out in tribes and we’re deeply unhappy and lonely.
That’s why I love football. We find our tribes at games all around the world. We connect over a purpose, and f*ck anyone who says football isn’t purpose, and we talk and feel good about life. I always say, my biggest loss of moving to America was disconnection with my Arsenal tribe. Even when Arsenal were shit, it was still great to be with my Arsenal family sharing in the misery together.
Now I have a different way of connecting with Arsenal, WhatsApp groups, a podcast with a group of friends I love chatting to, and I have the pleasure of working in the sport and helping to create spaces for tribes to be born in a different city.
I love football. I love what it stands for. I love the doors it opens to a more fulfilling life. If you’re reading this far, you probably do too, and that’s special.
Ok, make sure you share this initiative in your group chats. Make sure you check in on friends who might be going through shit times in this fucked up world. And remember, if you think the beautiful game is just about trophies, you’re not doing it right. It’s about so much more. The outcome of a season is just the cherry on top.
Ok, have a wonderful day, I’m going for a little walk. x
P.S. Check out this EXCELLENT early bird Dugout special with one of my fave writers, James Benge. The teaser made me laugh. These comedians we have on the show are good.