Source: TheGuardian
Football is a precious space where people express emotions and build relationships | Jason Stockwood
At Grimsby Town we know the role we can play in supporting mental health – especially in men who may be strugglingOne of the surprising and moving elements of running a football club is how regularly we hear from supporters who want to recognise and celebrate a loved one who is no longer with us. Before our first game of 2023, against Stockport County, we had a minute’s celebration accompanied by a lone piper as we remembered all the supporters of the club who passed away in the previous 12 months.There isn’t a week where we don’t hear from a member of our community who has lost a loved one and wants them to be remembered and commemorated on a match day. In December we said farewell to Brian Taylor with a round of applause in the 63rd minute against Salford, marking his age when he passed away, and in the past couple of weeks we lost one of our oldest supporters, Milly (95) who I met with her family at our recent game against Stevenage. A lifelong commitment to a club, as Brian and Milly demonstrated, is impressive and life-affirming because it reinforces the social significance of sport and importance of emotion, memory and place. It’s a privilege and is a constant reminder to me of the importance of football clubs and their ability to open an emotional space for celebration, particularly for those who might find the expression of emotion difficult elsewhere. Continue reading......read full article
