Wow, can't believe this. One of my heros.
I remember meeting him as a child, when he used to come and do his bit for welsh football by watching my local team Colwyn Bay.

A fair point well put, Minty, but the problem is that you often don't know such a thing is required until something tragic happens.

I'd not had the TV on most of yesterday morning so when my flatmate texted "Have you seen about Gary Speed?", my first thought was that he'd resigned / been sacked - nothing like what had actually happened. After turning on the TV, my jaw just dropped.

I was about 9/10 when I started watching Leeds United and Gary was one of my favourite players. He was a gifted player, an honest player and someone who seemed to always have time for the fans (I seem to remember being on one of Leeds United's soccer camps in the school holidays and Speed making an apperance). I just couldn't believe that, at 42, one of my boyhood heroes had gone.

I know a lot more about mental health problems that I'd like to and I can't begin to imagine what Gary was going through to do what he did or what his family are going through now. If it is a long term thing, then it is common for people to try and "mask" the problem, especially for someone who is in both a relatively "macho" environment and someone who is in the public eye and pressured into giving off the "right" image. If this has come about because of press intrusion.... I don't want to post what I think of those responsible.

At a time when so many professional footballers are, to be frank, complete c**ks, it is easy to forget about good people like Gary Speed.

Reading the papers today you would never know that a soldier was killed in action yesterday.

A wealthy ex footballer who it would appear had everything kills himself and it steals the headlines. Sad I will accept but is it worthy of the front page.

It's easy to bag the press, but they wouldn't do it if there wasn't demand for it. Celebrity scandals sell papers bizarely. The longer people continue to buy such rubbish, the longer they'll keep churning it up.

It is generally accepted that some soldiers will lose their lives in conflict. That is not to trivialise it, of course, but it is an expected outcome for a percentage of troops on active service. Generally speaking, it is not expected that successful, outwardly happy young men will take their own lives. The fact that he was a famous footballer/manager makes it more newsworthy (though no more tragic) than had it been an unknown member of the public.

If Gazza killed himself tonight that wouldnt be that unexpected (yes I know) but you could bet that would also be front page headlines.

I actually don't think that's the case. I think people buy what they are given to buy and what they are told to buy. Nobody really sat around 50 years ago with an unidentified, unfulfilled craving for Z list celebrity gossip eating away at their soul. If it all went away tomorrow and never came back we wouldn't miss it at all.

Any number of other people will have died yesterday too. Some by their own hand, others through violent acts and still others by natural causes.

Maybe we should rewind 100 years or so and print classifieds on the front page?

Maybe we could.

Either way its a personal decision that he has made that maybe shouldn't have got the headlines- Just a personal thought.

I suspect we will now get the Samaritan adverts and mental health machine rolling along on the back of it. "Speak to Frank"

I think this is an excellent post. I find the military toll appalling. I think I've made that clear before. But this is totally unexpected, which makes it far more shocking.

He was quite famous and very popular. Of course it was going to make the headlines.

And I don't think it can be classed as merely a 'personal decision'. When someone takes their own life, they do so because of profound mental illness, not as a result of any decision making process worthy of the description.

Often they do go through a decision making process but its flawed and they will genuinely believe that they are acting in the best interests of their family. They really do believe "they will be better off without me"

I can't work out what your issue is. Every soldier who dies should be mourned. I can't see why you have chosen to link the two (other than it involves death).

Gary Speed, for whatever reason (and I'm pretty sure it will eventually become apparent) took his own life. Considering that he is well-known and it was completely unexpected then yes, it is news-worthy.

I don't think that his untimely death is 'stealing the headlines' and to be honest in the cold light of day I hope that you can see that particular comment is disrespectful and ill-judged.