Gary Speed

All though I'm a Sheffield United fan I thought it was best to post a tribute thread on the premier league site cos that's were Gary played most of his football,If you want to say a few words on here as a tribute to the great man then feel free.

He will be missed by a lot of people and was just starting to turn Wales in to a team that was winning games and not getting hammered every time they played.

Rest in peace, What a top man.

It's been a day and I still don't have any words to say.

From a purely Welsh point of view, he was just a legend. He played during a time when all our top-class Premier League players used to cry off from an away trip to Albania with "injuries" that miraculously recovered by the following weekend (even a home match against Albania was too much for some of them) - but he was always there, giving his all, and leading the team. He was a true inspiration who just looked like he loved playing for Wales. And the country loved him for that.

I think we are only now seeing what things could've been like if everyone was like Gary, and WANTED to play for Wales. That's the culture he has created in such a short space of time and it's made such a difference. He must have been such a inspiration to those young players. The job he's done with the National team is unbelievable. Because it's not just a few flukey results, there whole style of play has changed into a free-flowing, exciting game. (we didn't always get hammered though Yarm )

How do you fill those shoes? Welsh football has lost it's figurehead and leader of the past 15 or so years. Simply devastating.

As a Newcastle fan this has hit me a little sideways. As all the tributes have stated and people who knew him have said, Gary Speed came across as the ultimate professional footballer and a gentleman at that.

285 times he played for the Toon during a period when every other player that could get injured, did get injured for us. Be it luck, determination or the more obvious choice that he simply looked after himself better than anyone else, Gary Speed set an example for everyone.

RIP Gary Speed, my condolences to his family who have lost a father, husband and son, and to the Welsh who have just lost one of their greatest ever sportsman.

still stunned by this news. RIP Gary speed, thoughts go out to his wife and kids.

Gary Speed was a very good footballer and had the makings of a good manager . It is such a shame that this has happened .

Thoughts are with his family .

R.I.P

Completely stunned by this, it won't sink in for a while.

Looking in from the outside, he seemed to be the guy who had everything. Successful playing career, a promising managerial one, and a loving family.

The football world is a far poorer place without him.

RIP Gary.

This tragic event has struck a real cord with me, he Seamed to be the man who had everything, a highly talented individual and widely respected man with so much to live for. Speed defined the word professional and played the game the way it should be with passion and determination, rarely injured or suspended in playing career that saw him make over 800 club appearances and over 80 caps for his country. For a man of his charater to commit suicide is almost to much for me to comprehend, my thoughts are with his family and I hope in time they can remember Garry for the man he was rather than the way he died.

Gary Speed never played for the club i support, yet given his character and the sheer length and quality of his career it's hard not to be upset that he's no longer with us.

One of a very, very small group of modern British footballers who completely transcended the clubs they played for.

Just extremely, extremely sad.

He seemed like a nice lad,but this subject is abit to close to home for me at present . It does worry me that everyone is pouring in with this love in after the fact that he has just topped himself and left his family in tatters. You cant get a more selfish act. Its a shame we will never know the full extent of what happened or wether it was justified. In my opinion its better to let him rest in peace and left his family get on with there own business. This supposed message that he was a brilliant man of such character yet can top himself isnt one that should be left lingering about- there is a bigger problem there.

Its a real shame, and as mentioned, thoughts are with his family.

But I also echo the thoughts of mystiroakey. Exactly what has happened to make a man abandon his family like that. There had to have been something seriously wrong.

I dont think I have ever known of a death which makes as little sense as this one.

I was stunned by the news of this, Speed would have been the last person most people would have considered to do this.

Don't get me wrong, I feel for the guy, he must have been in an extremely dark place to do this. Here's a guy who, to an outsider, had it all; money, fame, loving family, successful career that was just taking off, friends.

But it's his family, his kids, I feel for. Unfortunately, the only person that people who take their own life are thinking of is themselves.

Or if he was suffering from a mental illness, such as depression, then he's unlikely to have been thinking about anything clearly.

His agent has said he wasnt suffering from depression

I think in the coming days/weeks a story or two will break that might be uncomfortable to read but might at least shed light into why he did this

His agent would not know if he was or not. What his agent maybe meant was that he was not being treated for depression.

I've had a argument with a few people about his death. I respected speed as a player but as a man I couldn't tell you.

He had time to construct his suicide but didn't leave a note or explanation. Feel big time for his wife and kids.

Has it been announced there was no note? I hadn't heard anything yet

HitmanOwl wrote:

He had time to construct his suicide but didn't leave a note or explanation.

On what evidence do you base this assumption?

Who are you to speak for his wife and children? All they know is bereavement. I doubt a note would've made that any less painful for them. Maybe Gary was in no fit mental state to sit down and compose a note. If he couldn't discuss his thoughts with another, what makes you think he could write about his feelings in such an articulate way for others to understand?

Well said Cari

Well you don't hang yourself on a whim? He obviously knew what to do I.e tie a knot etc.

People assuming depression are way off the mark imo.

If he was my dad I would have wanted to know why? Not leave me wondering for the rest of my life,them two lads will be scarred for life.

Who are you to comment?

It's my opinion even if I'm right or wrong.

You might think differently.

HitmanOwl
Who said he did not leave a note ? Where did you get this information from.
I would have thought there was a note otherwise the police would not have ruled out foul play so quickly.

"it's my opinion..."

Opinions are like assholes young Owl, just because we've got one doesn't mean we've got to air it.

It's a sensitive issue and should be treated as such

As it stands of right now there is no note. I'm going off what we know and that is it. If a note or some reason comes out then it changes everything but the fact remains at this point he left his family and it was a selfish act whichever way you put it.

I would angry first and foremost if any of my family did that.

I think you'd feel completely different if you were actually put into that situation. It's all fine and easy for you to say in your position now, that if your family member did it you'd be angry. It is entirely different actually being in that position.

You're making such huge assumptions that it's actually disrespectful. While it is true that he has left a wife and two children, we do not know the reasons behind it, and it would be wrong to assume anything without any evidence.

So why are people saying depression right off the bat? I haven't assumed anything,I've gone what I've read and not once has anyone mentioned speed had depression.

RIP Speed,quality footballer.

I think everyone to some extent is curious to find out what possibly made him do it but I think we have to remain tactful and respectful and most importantly, sensitive to the situation, none of us know if something like this might be to close for comfort for some of our members and we should refrain from making comments that are potentially hurtful to others, at least until more info is released

@gaffer

Fair point,I'm just as gutted as most people about this tragic event. When I first heard what happened I assumed heart failure or crash but for him to do this I cant/couldnt believe. He was one of the good guys of the footballing world.

I just feel deflated about it,it seems surreal.

I think people who are having a go at HitmanOwl are out of order - he is only speaking logically on the facts available and I also think the way it has instantly been decided (by lots of people) that he was depressed, is unfair, especially as his best friend and agent has denied it!

Sadly I fear there is more to this than just a simple suicide from a guy suffering from depression, but this is a sensative issue and only time will tell!

RIP

Apologies Hitman - I may have mentioned it on this thread or another as I always feel you must be feeling at least slightly depressed to do something like that - though I know that's different from depression - but I had heard pundits and forum people talking about Speed, depression, Collymore and previous players like Enke? (the German keeper) who had done something similar because of depression.

In the heat of the moment I guess I just made a jump to that assumption without proof.

I also think it's disgusting anyone saying he's selfish and anger is the right response. You, me and practically no-one else on the planet know what he was going through (if anything, I'm assuming again), or any pain he could have been going through or any motivations or external pressures which were being applied to him.

It's all very easy for someone whose not affected by these issues to say you shouldn't do that because it would affect me - when you don't have to deal with these issues on a day to day basis and know that as long as a person doesn't committ suicide then it doesn't really affect you - it's only if they can't deal with it anymore that people can come out and say why were you so selfish!

Sorry a bit bleak

Again you are assuming he was depressed, or had mental issues, I think it is wrong to assume anything, there are endless possible reasons why he might have (as is alleged and not yet definite) killed himself and I think the shock of it all just makes people naturally curious.

True JD

So if somebody kills themselves and leaves behind a family but gives no explanation to why,isn't selfish for doing such a act?

Enke at least acknowledge he had a problem and to overcome his demons,I wouldn't describe him as bein selfish.

I certainly wouldn't compare these two.

HitmanOwl wrote:Well you don't hang yourself on a whim? He obviously knew what to do I.e tie a knot etc.

Some do actually. Some people even do it accidentally without any consideration at all.

Depends on your definition of selfish. Google comes up with- "Lacking consideration for others; concerned chiefly with one's own personal profit or pleasure."

Suicide definitely doesn't come under personal profit or pleasure in my book.

Newcastle announce that a Welsh hymn will be sang before KO with all fans given the lyrics on a sheet, whilst this happens fans will be given cards that make up the number 11 in one of the stands. This will then be followed by a minutes applause.

feeling angry is the normal feeling for sure- his kids will be angry- rightly or wrongly they will be angry- The guy who said no one should regard suicide as selfish or noone should have the right to feel angry is miles of base and has no idea what they are talking about.

why this case is so hard to undeerstand is because there were no warning signs from his family(what they say anyway) or his colleagues or friends. He has acheived (perhaps over acheived) recently in the worl place. these are not the acts of a man who doesnt know what he is thinking.;

I am not going to condem garry speed at all as i dont know him. I understand completly about what his family are going through due to recent personal experience, however i will repeat- the notion that gary speed was a man of great character does not add up

Just because he looked happy on Football Focus or he was a bundle of laughs the last time his mates talked to him does not mean he was in the same frame of mind the night he decided to take his own life.
You can speculate as much as you want but none of us know what was going on in his mind at the time.

Shouldn't overlook a sexual tone to his suicide....Asphyxia is supposed to be a good way of self arousal apparently....

No note etc..wouldn't rule it out.

Don't really know what to say, like everyone else, i'm shocked. It's a shame he thought he couldn't turn to anyone to talk to.

A great professional of the game, and was proving to be a good manager.

I'm sorry for his family and friends who he's left behind.
RIP Gary.

its a shame he couldnt talk to anyone. Alan shearer said that they were best mates, and yet he couldnt even tell him what was bothering him
it is very tragic RIP

Put it this way in the next few days I reckon the truth will come out and I think people will be shocked.

Quality footballer.

rugby not sure what you needed to come in here with the red pen- specualtion can be good or bad by the way. I am happy to pay my respects to gary and more importantly his family, but we dont have to put him on a pedastol due to a tradedgy.

mystiroakey
Read what she said and accept that she is right everybody else has.
Speculate as much as you want on the sporting side of things thats the point of the a sports forum but sensitive cases like this need to be left well alone until we are given more details.