Girthquake
Vital Newbie
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/s...ed-team-mates-400-000-faces-legal-action.html
...So he was good for something after all.
...So he was good for something after all.
Remember Cotterill?
- Thread starter Girthquake
- Start date
Lazysid
Vital 1st Team Regular
I'm not saying this is always the case but it's very convenient for people to hide behind mental health / depression issues whilst knowingly cheating others.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
He can't blame his bad business decisions / screwing team mates on mental health. Plenty of folks have mental health issues without taking 400k in loans and not repaying them.
It's not nice for anyone to be diddled out of any money no matter how much they have but I hope the lads he owes the most to are earning good money so they aren't going to miss it too much as it sounds like he will end up declaring bankruptcy and those lads won't get much of their money back.
It's not nice for anyone to be diddled out of any money no matter how much they have but I hope the lads he owes the most to are earning good money so they aren't going to miss it too much as it sounds like he will end up declaring bankruptcy and those lads won't get much of their money back.
king_dezeeuw06
Vital Champions League
If his loans were all legal agreements as part of a business that failed he can probably declare bankruptcy and have most of the debt wiped off. He will very possibly get away without having to pay his team mates back and avoid any fraud charges. Sometimes when you cry poverty the law punishes the victims and protects the perpetrators in these instances unfortunately.
The_Pon
Vital Reserves Team
Firstly, I don't and won't condone what Cotterill did. Teammates and colleagues are also friends, and screwing them over for money is lower than a snake's belly. There must be legal consequences if a crime has been committed, and the money should be repaid to those he scammed.
With that said, it's easy to forget how young footballers are. We think of 30+ year old players as 'old'... Now imagine moving these young lads around the country like commodities. Many of them don't get chance to form strong friendships or put down any real roots before they're moved on again. Add in the issue of being scrutinised by fans and journalists almost constantly. Whilst most of these lads cope ok, it's understandable that some don't. I can understand how loneliness leads to depression, and with that can easily come addiction. Someone suffering depression will do pretty much anything to escape or feel a little joy, and whether it's alcohol, drugs, gambling, whatever, I do see how these lads are more vulnerable than normal folks with friends and family close by who they can lean on when they're feeling down.
Throw into that mix more money than some lads of that age and level of maturity can handle and they get themselves into some major problems, and there are always the dealers, fake 'friends', bookies etc. who will take advantage of them and that huge amount of money can be gone as quickly as it's gained.
As I said, I won't condone Cotterill's actions and he has to face the consequences, whatever they may be.
But I also sympathise slightly. Being a footballer is a dream come true, but it can very quickly become a toxic mix of loneliness, depression, addiction and self destruction for lads who aren't mature enough to handle it.
I think clubs should take a much more active interest in players' welfare, not just physically (obviously beneficial in terms of preventing injuries) but also in their mental health and wellbeing. It's hardly rare to hear of footballers suffering mental health and addiction problems, and for every one we know about, I'd bet there's half a dozen at least who we don't.
These are young lads thrust into the limelight and put under a lot of pressure and scrutiny by fans, journalists, and clubs themselves, and at the age they're at, some (many) probably need more guidance and support than your average Joe... Especially considering that most have grown up in the football 'bubble' that's denied them a lot of the real life lessons that we learn growing up. Clubs should take that responsibility seriously. I'd think that a lot of the players we see having problems could have been caught earlier and given the guidance and support they needed before their feelings got so dug in that it overwhelms every other part of their lives.
With that said, it's easy to forget how young footballers are. We think of 30+ year old players as 'old'... Now imagine moving these young lads around the country like commodities. Many of them don't get chance to form strong friendships or put down any real roots before they're moved on again. Add in the issue of being scrutinised by fans and journalists almost constantly. Whilst most of these lads cope ok, it's understandable that some don't. I can understand how loneliness leads to depression, and with that can easily come addiction. Someone suffering depression will do pretty much anything to escape or feel a little joy, and whether it's alcohol, drugs, gambling, whatever, I do see how these lads are more vulnerable than normal folks with friends and family close by who they can lean on when they're feeling down.
Throw into that mix more money than some lads of that age and level of maturity can handle and they get themselves into some major problems, and there are always the dealers, fake 'friends', bookies etc. who will take advantage of them and that huge amount of money can be gone as quickly as it's gained.
As I said, I won't condone Cotterill's actions and he has to face the consequences, whatever they may be.
But I also sympathise slightly. Being a footballer is a dream come true, but it can very quickly become a toxic mix of loneliness, depression, addiction and self destruction for lads who aren't mature enough to handle it.
I think clubs should take a much more active interest in players' welfare, not just physically (obviously beneficial in terms of preventing injuries) but also in their mental health and wellbeing. It's hardly rare to hear of footballers suffering mental health and addiction problems, and for every one we know about, I'd bet there's half a dozen at least who we don't.
These are young lads thrust into the limelight and put under a lot of pressure and scrutiny by fans, journalists, and clubs themselves, and at the age they're at, some (many) probably need more guidance and support than your average Joe... Especially considering that most have grown up in the football 'bubble' that's denied them a lot of the real life lessons that we learn growing up. Clubs should take that responsibility seriously. I'd think that a lot of the players we see having problems could have been caught earlier and given the guidance and support they needed before their feelings got so dug in that it overwhelms every other part of their lives.
Last edited:
