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'Merson on his documentary: I just wanted to help one person'
http://www.skysports.com/share/12431849
"Insists he has a responsibility to help others with gambling addiction"
Shame his employers, and so many other companies, don't feel the same way!
His "mate" Jeff Stelling and his employer Sky should have a look at their part in glorifying gambling in their ads.
The betting ads are just wrong. I thank God that gambling has never interested me and never will but I do know that it’s tearing some families apart. It’s a terrible addiction without brakes, you drink too much you fall over, you take drugs you flake out eventually, gambling, you just look for more money to chase the losses. How there hasn’t been an outcry and a ban I’ll never know.........and the smug ‘celebs’ who are enticing mug punters need to have a good look at themselves, mercenary bastards!!
It's a real issue amongst young men, apparently.
Merson is a good bloke being open about his demons
I am sure he ended his career at Walsall?
We scored a last minute equaliser , Gareth Whalley ?
Merson was having a right laugh with our fans behind the goal
Best of luck to him and others affected
My one abiding memory of Merson is when he played down here for Villa. I'm sure Mad Frankie had arranged it with Villa when they signed Mark Delaney, that they would play a pre season friendly at Ninian Park. Or have I dreamed that up? Anyway Merson stood in the centre circle for the game barely moving but spraying inch perfect passes around the pitch.
Those diagrams showing how Merson reacted to gambling images compared to things like food, family and holiday images were so revealing - the poor sods that are hit hardest by the gambling bug have no chance really and the programme had me thinking there but for the grace of God go I.
I’ve never been a gambler, but if I were, I’d stop using Ladbrookes who didn’t even respond when asked about the issues raised in the programme - that said, they’re all as bad as each other and I agree about the smug celebs.
It really is.
It's hard enough to earn a living, pay a mortgage, bills, run a car and raise a family these days as it is.
Chuck a massive debt and blacklist in the mix...
Not sure if there is any evidence but would not surprise me one iota if there is a direct correlation between gambling and the high suicide rate in young men.
As somebody who has over the past 10 years been at various points along the spectrum of retaining some control and being completely out of control, a lot is spoken about compulsive gambling that I agree with and a lot that I don't. I can stand the people who don't own it, it's the easy way out to latch onto the excuse that it's an illness and you can't do anything about it.
Now, that isn't to say that for compulsive gamblers there isn't a 24/7 haze that nips at you during every lonely or boring moment but when it comes to it, you still have that choice. It also isn't to say that at those crucial moments, every single part of your being is telling you that you should just fill your boring Saturday with some excitement or chase that loss from earlier in the day.
To me, it feels as though during that moment, part of my brain switches off. I make sense of data and numbers for people for a living and then I go home and quite often do something completely irrational with no logical basis.
It's very likely for sure, wouldn't say there is always a clear link though.
I didn't start drinking or gambling due to mental health issues. The drinking and the gambling definitely caused mental health problems themselves though.
Anyway, my last thread about Guinness 0% went way off track and we could discuss this for years haha
Sadly the game we follow is hugely connected to betting firms .
I noticed the other day that our training kit is sponsored by Sport 888. Bookies should not be able to do business with sports teams that play in any organised league. And they shouldn't be allowed to have ambiguous names like "Sport 888". At least Bet365 state their purpose clearly.