Gary Andrew Speed, MBE (8 September 1969 – 27 November 2011)

You might have noticed that this week’s blog (well technically I guess this is last week’s blog) is 24 hours later than usual. This (for a change) is not due to laziness, business or another battle I’ve lost with IT; it’s simply because the words I had prepared paled into utter insignificance alongside yesterday’s sad, sad news.

It’s almost impossible for most of us to comprehend why anyone would resort to the action to which Gary Speed appears to have taken over the weekend, especially when someone seems to have as much to live for as he did. Of course, we don’t know what Speedo’s thoughts over the last few days might have been, and it’s probable that we never will. One thing seems clear though; something went very sadly wrong, which caused a young, inspirational man to believe that he had no other alternative.

It was only on Friday afternoon that I attended a presentation by mental health charity Mind. Much of the session focused on depression, and I couldn’t help but spend much of the afternoon and the evening thinking about German keeper Robert Enke and the tragic conclusion to his life; exactly two years ago this month.

I really can’t justify filling this space with anything more at this time; only that my thoughts are with the Speed family and those closest to him. Look after, and out for, those around you.