Watson: Why I gave pair a second chance
TWO years ago, Russell Benjamin and Paddy Lacey were ex-footballers who had wasted their chances and found themselves in jail.
Benjamin was described as the ringleader of a major North West drugs gang, while Lacey had been found carrying Class A drugs and counterfeit money at the Glastonbury Festival.
For both, it looked to be the end of promising careers as they faced sentences of nine years and 16 months respectively.
But they are now both part of Southport Football Club’s squad, where manager Liam Watson is earning praise for offering a “last chance saloon” to those who genuinely want to be rehabilitated.
The story of the pair returning to non-league football with Southport was shared by BBC Sport, with Watson explaining why he felt it was the right thing to help out people who he knew regretted their actions.
“People make he explained.
“Those who show genuine remorse, realise they’ve made a mistake and want to make amends, I think they should be admired. They deserve a second chance.”
Watson, who is in his third spell as ’Port boss, spent 18 years working at Ashworth Hospital, the Maghull facility which is home to some of the most dangerous and notorious criminals in the country.
Despite regular assaults on staff, working at Ashworth alongside his football career gave the former Runcorn Linnets, Burscough, Telford and Stalybridge Celtic boss the experiences which shaped his attitudes towards giving second chances.
He told BBC Sport: “Working at Ashworth mistakes,” gave me an insight that even good people can make mistakes,” said Watson.
“I’ve stayed in touch with one former patient, I speak to him regularly. Whether it was drugs or whatever, he had issues.
“I’d take him with me to matches at Telford or Southport. He’d stand behind the dugout while I was managing. I liked him and he’s since gone on to do really well for himself.”
Benjamin knows he is extremely lucky to have had Watson on his side through his troubles. Watsonvisited him at Widnes police station after his arrest and subsequently at the three prisons where he was held during the years he served.
He admits that after failing to make it into the Football League as a professional, he was seduced by seeing other people “who were up to no good” driving expensive cars.
Now, he seeks to help those in similar situations to avoid going down the same path.
He has earned critical praise for his performances so far this season and, regularly starting in central midfield, appears to be a man determined to repay the support he has received.
“Going to prison was a shock to the system,” he said.
“When I heard the judge say
‘nine years’, I asked myself:
‘Is this the end of the road?’
“Liam kept in contact and let me know that it was not the end of the world because I’d made one mistake.”
He said: “At Thorn Cross, I was given an opportunity to leave the prison on day release to work. It’s aimed at rehabilitating you back into the community.
“Liam sorted it for me to go to Warrington Town, which allowed me to start playing again.
“At first, I could only play home games. I don’t think they wanted the public to see that I was out playing football, having fun, when I was supposed to be serving a sentence. “But when you are a Category D prisoner, that’s what it’s all about – you have got to give people a second chance. If you are rehabilitating someone, you cannot just
throw them on the street and expect them to crack on with life.
“Towards the end of my sentence, they started letting me go to away games as well.
“I couldn’t have asked more of Liam. I owe him because I feel like I have been given a second chance.
“Southport feels like my home because they’ve helped me out in a big way.”
While some may have raised fears over bringing two players convicted of drug offences to the club, the moves have gone down well with the majority of supporters, as well as providing a positive future for two people who may have found their options limited as they attempted to return to life outside prison.
“I’ve made mistakes in my life,” said Watson. “Deep down, everyone has made mistakes in their lives – some have been bigger than others.
“Both Russell and Paddy know this is lastchance saloon.”