Somewhere to turn when the clouds gather

Jimmy Walker’s autobiography, “Size isn’t Everything” is the most honest account of a sporting life I have ever read. A superb goalkeeper, Jim achieved plenty on the field. He also got into a few tangles off it. It all makes for a cracking and thought provoking book. One moment you’re laughing, then the challenges crowd in. One moment its sunny, then the dark clouds gather - just like life, really.

Jim’s response to the plethora of challenges he faced has included the setting up of the JW23 Foundation to support ex and current players who face any of those challenges. As he observes in his fascinating Reports of Arbroath interview, much of the support out there is sincere and well-intended but the best counsel, and the best chance of building a communication bridge over which that counsel can pass, is from those who have experienced those problems and crises: those who have lived the challenges and overcome them.

Perhaps the biggest takeaway of all from Jimmy’s book, and his insightful chat with Reports from Arbroath, is that the life of a professional footballer is glamorous and, when all is well, fantastic, but also littered with temptations and dangers. It’s not just on the pitch that a footballer need to show stregnth and disicpline.

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