RIP Gary Speed

Totally agree he was a big part of the best period in my years of watching Leeds, I loved football at that time.

RIP Gary! we all need to sit up at take mental health issues seriously, You will all know someone with issues but because of the stigma attached you prob wont know they have it.

Had the pleasure of watching Leeds from 1989-92 and watching Gary blossom. He was always my Britney if I had to! I once saw him layed on the grass in Roundhay Park before an MJ gig, he was surrounded by the ladies! I think the most I've ever seen a stadium erupt was when he blasted an opening goal in against Man Utd in the cup.

RIP fella. Great memories.

Stood out as the voice of reason in his YEP column,not a Leeds fan myself but his insight on football itself always came across as measured and genuine,In my line of work it's not often i'm shocked by much these days but this did the job.RIP Gary.

Made the choice to take his own life leaving 2 kids behind to deal with the mess. A British soldier was killed today fighting for his country. He did not choose to die, he had not made the headlines.

RIP to them both.

Your a idiot,dress it up how you want with your RIP at the end but your post is disrepectful to all parties.ps from a ex soldier.

R.I.P Gary Speed. A great football player a true gentleman. I met him once years ago and he took time to talk to myself and my friend for about 10mins, i was only about 11 at the time. we had gone early to a leeds game and he took the time to talk to many of the fans that day smiling signing autographs. How many of the current proffesionals would do that probably not many. You will be sadley missed

I understand where you're coming from but it's a bit early for a semi-inquiry, recrimination and any sort of rationalisation of the whys and whatfors.

Two completely different scenarios both tragic for separate reasons!

Sadly jonh is correct in what he says, its maybe not the time or the place, granted.

afraid Jonh is right

the aftermath of such an selfish act will never go away and for him to do it in the family home shows that his mental mind was pushed beyond what anyone of us could ever think about.
while it may be the easy way out for him its left 2 kids and a loving wife left thinking for the rest of their lives what they have done wrong to lose him.

I have been unlucky enough to come across someone in Wrenthorpe park while walking the dog in the early hours that had also took his life from a tree.

I never knew the young lad but I was left with anger, sadness and total disbelief that someone could do this, I later learned that he took his life after losing his sister to illness.

it still haunts me to this day when I pass the tree where he did this

as for Gary it is a crying shame that no one could of seen the signs but I too believe that the publicity has been more than it would of been due to the shock of it happening

my heart goes out to his family and close friends who will have to live with their thoughts that they could of helped him

Don't agree Snowie, whatever the wrongs of suicide, this isn't the place for condemnation or to judge imo, it's just a thread to express a little respect towards Gary and his family

Anyway RIP Gary and my thoughts are with his family
He was one of the good guys in football, bumped into him a couple of times in the 90's while out in restaurants and he was always happy to sign a few autographs and have a quick chat.

You're absolutely right, IMO. Comparison is pointless, and both deaths are equally tragic in their own way.

All very true!

I listened to an interview with one of his close friends this afternoon, he was absolutely perplexed at Gary Speeds death. He explained in the interview how he had seen Gary on Football Focus and all seemed to be well, he knew him extremely well and could not see any strange behaviour or hidden pain, no lies in his eyes or forced smiles. A couple of hours after the show was over he had received a text from Gary sharing a mutual and long standing joke that only he and Gary were in on, again he says there was only normality in what was said and no hint of what was to come. When he got the call in the early hours of Sunday he did not believe it and only when it was confirmed on three further occasions did he accept that his friend had gone but his last communications with Gary were completely at odds and entirely incompatible with him taking his own life just hours later.

After listening to this I had to ask myself what could possibly turn a young man with such a bright future to suicide within hours. I have my own thoughts but will keep them to myself but I fear we may hear more about this over the coming weeks.

It's extremely distasteful to condemn this mans actions without knowing the details.

May I suggest that people stick to messages of condolence on this thread. If people wish to discuss other tragic deaths, mental health issues or suicide in general please start or join in a different topic, cheers.