Western Daily Press (Saturday)
‘In his darker moments, Lee struggled with what to do next’
LEE Collins’ partner has opened up about the impact his death has had on her three children and called for more support to be given to lower league footballers.
Rachel Gibbon has described the moment she heard the news of the former Yeovil Town captain’s death after he took his own life in a West Coker hotel room in March.
Ms Gibbon said that she was in South Wales at the time as opposed to their family home and so was phoned by police asking for her address to send local officers to speak with her.
In an interview with Sky Sports News, Ms Gibbon said: “It hit me like a sledgehammer.
“When you get a phone call from a police officer like that – I explained I had three children with me, and she said she couldn’t tell me what it was that had happened, but that I might want to take the children away for a while – so you instantly know it’s something awful.
“Until the police arrive on your doorstep, there’s still that tiny bit of hope that maybe it’s something else. It’s so backwards. You then start
Whenever I leave them, they’re wondering if mum will come back, because dad went to work one day and never came home RACHEL GIBBON
praying that maybe he’s been in a car crash or something else equally awful. You never expect that in the slightest. It’s been rough on our 10-year-old in particular, but all three children have been struggling, especially with separation anxiety.
“Whenever I leave them, they’re wondering if mum will come back, because dad went to work one day and never came home.”
In her first interview since Mr Collins’ death, Ms Gibbon went on to describe his apprehension before he died over what he would do once his football career ended.
This echoed statements made at Mr Collins’ inquest earlier this month, at which the coroner recorded a verdict of suicide.
A statement from Mr Collins’ close friend Paul Broadhead described his periodic struggles with mental health, during which he would brood on what he would do next during his “darker moments”.
Ms Gibbon described it as something that was “always on his radar”, particularly in the two years before his death.
She said: “We would talk about it a lot. He didn’t want to go into coaching and management, he didn’t want the responsibility. He is too much of a joker to take on that role. He couldn’t go and do a 9 to 5 office job, put on a suit and tie and sit at a desk all day. That’s what he would discuss with his closest friends and teammates.”
She said that the ethos within football is for players to be “strong men” and noted that Mr Collins did not heed those around him who “begged” him to seek out professional help.
Ms Gibbon stressed that ultimately football bosses need to be more proactive to the needs of footballers, particularly those in the lower leagues coming to the end of their careers.
She said: “They’re not these big fancy superstars that earn megabucks; these are just regular guys. They could live next door to you.
“More needs to be done with those in particular. For Lee, he lived within his wage packet, so he didn’t have a big nest egg of savings to fall back on.
“Football in general needs to be more proactive in helping those footballers, rather than what they are at the moment which is reactive.”
The inquest into Mr Collins’ death revealed he had suffered alcohol addiction in the years before his death and that this worsened during the pandemic.
Mr Collins was in regular contact with both the team doctor at his previous football club, Forest Green Rovers, and the team doctor at Yeovil Town. At one point he entered counselling under the Professional Footballers’ Association’s (PFA) guidance. However, an open letter signed by Mr Collins’ “friends and colleagues” sent to the PFA last Sunday called for an “extensive review into the current player wellbeing service offered by the PFA.”
The letter described a lack of “player wellbeing, mental health and post-retirement support” within football and accused the PFA of failing to cope with the increase in mental health issues during the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Collins contributed to the PFA throughout his career, but as he died while playing in the National League, his family was reportedly not entitled to the death-in-service benefit.
The letter signatories called on the PFA to fund wellbeing officers at all member clubs, improve aftercare for retiring players and to provide death-in-service benefits to all members, regardless of which league they play in.
In response to Ms Gibbon’s interview and the open letter, the PFA said: “Our thoughts remain with Lee’s family, friends and teammates and we will continue to offer our support to all those affected by Lee’s passing.
“Professional football can be a challenging career and we have identified a wide range of footballspecific areas that can adversely impact a player’s mental health. Career transition – whether through retirement, injury or release – is a particularly difficult time for players and their families.
“We are committed to continually improving our education and wellbeing support, which also includes evaluating the way football as a whole supports players.
“Any members who need support with their mental health, including issues both inside and outside of football, can contact us on our 24/7 helpline on 07500 000777 or at well