ALL SAINTS
Ex-Southampton and Walsall star Chris Nicholl is another giant of the game fighting dementia... but Saddlers fans have been taking him to games in a pilot scheme that could help more sufferers
LAST time Southampton hit top spot in English football before this season’s brief spell at the summit, Chris Nicholl was in charge.
It was the era of Alan Shearer, Matt Le Tissier, and Rod Wallace, all young players blooded by Nicholl as the Saints became the No.1 team in the country on September 10, 1988.
Now, having recently returned to the south coast, the former Northern Ireland international is being looked after by his family – the latest bigname footballer to be diagnosed with dementia.
Three years ago he confessed to Shearer in a compelling TV documentary that he was suffering from the onset of the disease.
Two months ago it struck with a vengeance and, for a few hours, his life was in danger. Walsall fan David Beckett, chairman of the Independent Saddlers Supporters’ Association, and Nicholl’s daughter Cathy thankfully came to the rescue.
Beckett and other members of the ISSA have spent long hours attempting to give Nicholl, who they fondly remember as a popular Saddlers boss in the 1990s, as normal a life as possible during his period living in the Midlands.
They have taken him to Walsall games, watched over him as he coached youngsters, and immersed him in a football environment in an attempt to revitalise an ailing memory.
With the input of some former Walsall players, funds were raised to buy the 74-year-old a tracker watch to ensure he never
went missing. But it didn’t quite work that way.
“Things came to a head when one day he went out without his watch, immediately putting himself in danger,” Beckett said.
“Chris became totally lost. Fortunately, he also has a tracker on his phone and, just before it was about to lose all power, Cathy and I were able to pinpoint where he was.
“He was very close to wande r i ng onto a motorway.
“It was obvious that he could no longer go on living in his flat, even though there was assistance on hand, so he’s now moved back to the Southampton area with Cathy because the dementia has started to overtake him. His son is also in the area, as is his ex-wife Jane, who he is still friends with. She would often come up to see him in Walsall.”
Beckett says dementia amongst former pros should be a concern for everyone connected with the game.
“I think the first time Chris’s problems came to our attention was through a documentary on dementia by Alan Shearer,” he said.
“Chris admitted in it that sometimes he wouldn’t know where he was.
“He only lived around the corner from me at the time. It quickly became apparent that he needed a lot more help. Really it was all about looking after him on a daily basis.
“We would pick him up and take him to Walsall games. We would take him to his golf club – just involve him in as many things as we could.
“He loves grass- roots football so we would ask him to present the medals for the little kids in the junior teams.
“Some people say you can’t help dementia sufferers. We’ve proved you can by taking them into an environment they know and are comfortable in.
“It seems that a lot more ex-footballers need help because cases of dementia are growing all the time.
“The PFA don’t seem to want to help. Maybe they fear it will open the floodgates, but people have got to wake up to the fact that many ex-footballers have got this terrible disease as a result of playing football over the years.”
Beckett believes it’s about having the time and patience to take them back in time.
He maintained: “Chris remembers games, he remembers the screamer he scored in the League Cup final for Aston Villa against Everton. But then he wouldn’t remember what he had done 10 minutes ago.
“Cathy gets in touch with us each week telling us how he is doing. We’re planning to go down and see him next month. We will take him some cards and gifts from Walsall fans.
“I’ve heard that Matt Le Tissier has been to see him.
“Chris gave Matt and Alan Shearer their debuts at Southampton.”
We found Chris with the tracker we gave him. But he was so close to a motorway