KATIE SHEPPARD 1994-2014.
It was with great sadness earlier this year that we at
Just A Ball Game? received news of the death of West Ham United Ladies player
Katie Sheppard aged just 20.
It is with even more sadness that we now learn a few
months on confirmation that the young football talent had taken her own life and
the possible reason behind this following a coroner’s inquest.
We would like to express our sincerest condolences to Katie’s
family, extended family, friends, team mates/former team mates and work colleagues, and hope that
their treasured memories will of her will never leave them.
Founder of Just a Ball Game? Lindsay England said: “For far
too long now many people from within an LGBT community have asked football
authorities to take issues around homosexuality, homophobia, LGBT inclusion and
visibility seriously and bring about education into the game as early as
possible to try and avoid another ‘Justin Fashanu’ situation happen again.” “Although
football alone is not to blame for someone’s taking of their own life, and so
young, I feel we need to do much more than pay lip service to the amount of
homophobia that does exist within the game and also reach out in as many ways
as possible to create a safe space and welcoming environment where those, who
as talented as they may be at football or indeed any sport, could be extremely vulnerable
in other aspects of their lives and feel isolated and alone.”
Both the grass roots and professional side of the game takes
on a certain amount of training for Welfare Officers, but mostly these are
volunteers and are not always people with enough qualifications or experience in
handling extreme circumstances and recognising certain signs in the early
stages, and often are not given enough information to even sign post for help and
support elsewhere until it’s too late.
Football needs to step up and bring about clear changes and
have the right people on board with the correct experience and knowledge around
the vast diversity of the LGBT community who especially young vulnerable people
need to see as part of their everyday life.
It’s often said that the very few players who are ‘out’ within
in the game have done so through their own personal choice, likewise those
still closeted have made the opposite choice. What if it’s more important than
just that? What if we look at the bigger picture? No one or very few players
come out and we have an environment where the situations are never any better, and
issues that need fighting never get solved?
Young players have their role models, and young LGBT people
need to know that yes they are a little different to some of their friends or family
but there are many people out there in the big wide world who they can see are
just the same as them. More also needs to be done to provide support and help
for those struggling to come to terms with aspects of their lives.
From evidence and statistics found by our team at our Just a
Ball Game? we would like the following
facts to be taken into account:
Over half LGB secondary school pupils are victims of
homophobic bullying in school and 21% of them do not feel accepted.1 in 4 trans
people experience physical abuse in school. Some 38% of LGB people experience a
form of domestic abuse in a same sex relationship. LGBT people are twice as
likely to commit suicide.
Help support and information can be found here:
