He’s another one that I’ve been wanting to speak to for a while, so it was very exciting to be able to do so, and he didn’t disappoint.

We talk about the importance of simply asking “how are you?”, the role of a coach in the development of the life of a young individual beyond just making them a better player, how growing up in Wimbledon’s Crazy Gang contributed to a career in which he thrived under pressure, the way football became an escape around the period that he and his partner had to endure the trauma of losing a child following a still birth, his coaching philosophies and how he hopes to achieve more and more with patience over the course of time, and the differences between coaching at development level and first-team level.

Jason is a lovely speaker. You’re engrossed by what he has to say.

Follow the podcast on Twitter @WellBallingPod, follow me on Twitter @K_AndrewsPhotos, and don’t be afraid to ask any questions you might have about the podcast or myself.

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Lawrie is someone I wanted to have on right from the start of series one; someone who seemed like a genuinely interesting and lovely guy, with a fascinating story and lots of little nuances that would make him fascinating to talk to.

I was not wrong at all. Lawrie, now plying his trade at Billericay Town while pursuing interests outside of football, is definitely a really good guy and speaks really interestingly and thoroughly about himself, his career, and all things mental health and football.

We discussed the overlap between mental and physical health, how his ability to understand his own strengths meant he was able to adapt to both dropping down and rising up the divisions, how Graham Westley, his manager while he was at a successful Stevenage side, and Chris Powell, his manager while he was at Charlton Athletic, put a high price on mental wellbeing, communication and understanding in slightly different ways, and we may have touched on an infamous song that was sung about him which Charlton supporters might be aware of.

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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It was actually Jake who encouraged me to get the podcast going again and call it quits altogether after the first series. Walking around The Valley’s pitch during the final game of last season, just after I had photographed him receiving his deserved POTY trophy, he asked about being interviewed for the podcast. That was an opportunity I couldn’t pass down.

It’s obviously taken some time for the interview to take place while Jake has gone through some of the more difficult stages of his recovery, but the strength he is showing at present to deal with the process he’s going through is incredible and shines through during our chat.

We talk about how signing a pro-contract at 14 meant that his first exposure to pressure and criticism was particularly tough to take, as well as the support he received from his ex-professional father and step-father at the start of his career and his perception of mental health and its status within the game. Although, of course, much of our chat is centred around his injuries. We discuss the challenge of coming to terms with that first injury, how isolating an experience it is being outside the football bubble and being isolated from your teammates while you grind through the recovery process and how returning to training and kicking a ball around again is actually the toughest part of the process. We also look at the importance of having alternative focuses during the recovery process, how the experience of that first injury has led to him being able to manage the second one more efficiently and with less anxiety, and the strength required to overcome the down days that you can only expect to exist through a challenging journey of recovery. 

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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Things are going to be a little different, but only a tiny bit. It will no longer be weekly, and episodes will simply be released when opportunities arise and interviews have been recorded. Less pressure and hopefully content that isn’t rushed.

We’ve also got a nice new graphic. I’d love to say I put some effort into that, but Canva is a lifesaver. It’s a bit brighter and hopefully gets across the style of the podcast a little more effectively. It views mental health positively.

We get that positive message, particularly around the notion of self-realisation, overcoming moments of self-doubt and pushing forward, from our first guest of the new series, Charlton Athletic midfielder Alex Gilbey, who was kind enough to speak to me after recovering from a nasty battle of Covid, while also managing his recent entry into parenthood and a gold addiction.

Among other themes, we chat about the regret he has over his attitude through his childhood despite making it as a footballer, coping with being the relegator – suffering three relegations in three seasons with three different clubs – how his relationship with Conor Washington has helped him throughout his career, the importance of having unity in dressing room and what that means of both mental wellbeing and performance, and how he suffered a crisis of confidence during the first six months of his time at Charlton and his success in overcoming that.

Alex spoke excellently, being both really open and offering some great insight into some of the more nuanced elements of professional football. I hope you enjoy our chat.

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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Conor took an unusual route into professional football, and approached it with an even more unusual mindset. Where most who enter the game have seen a career in football as an ambition, that was never really a goal for Conor. Never attached to an academy while growing up, he was relatively set on living what you might call a ‘normal’ life while playing for non-league St Ives Town in the United Counties League. Only when he was signed by Newport County at the age of 20, having plundered in plenty of goals in the lower reaches of non-league football, did a career in football seem plausible.

We talk about how his attitude towards football while growing up, different to many others in the game, has shaped him and how becoming a professional has not changed his identity, the overwhelming challenge that adapting to professional football posed, the testing elements that exist in player-fan relationships, as well as relationships within a dressing room that have been difficult to build given the restrictions in place as a consequence of the pandemic, the importance of sport psychology and developing conviction in himself as a footballer, and the fact that footballers are just real human beings.

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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Joe Francis, head of education and welfare at Charlton Athletic, lives and breaths with a desire to support young people. Young people. And that is key. To him, the young people that enter Charlton’s academy are exactly that. People first, footballers second.

We talk about the importance of the language that needs to be used to ensure the mental wellbeing of those within the academy is protected, the personal development the club seeks to ensure takes place through its player care programme, the opportunities for education for players at academy level and beyond that is one of several options to avoid the development of a dangerous athletic identity, creating life-long relationships that don’t simply end once a player’s time in the academy is over, and the improvement that is happening across all academies as the focus on education and wellbeing intensifies.

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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If you’re new here, follow the podcast on twitter and Instagram @wellballingpod, follow me on twitter and Instagram @k_andrewsphotos, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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The former Charlton Athletic man tells us about a challenging time which saw him miss 23 months of football, an inability to escape fears that a set-back would come even when things were looking promising during his recovery period, and the thoughts he had about quitting the game.

But Lewis is now playing regularly again, and that’s come about through taking a care-free, all or nothing approach to trials at Plymouth and Exeter in the summer. He’s learnt to trust his body and enjoying football again.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, Keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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When I began this podcast, I had a small list of people I wanted to speak to who were beyond those I was already connected to. Not necessarily big names, not necessarily those who had spoken about mental health problems before, but those who I either knew would have complex minds to unpick or they had had a significant impact on me and my life. Matt Crooks was on the top of that list.

In addition to struggling with mental health problems throughout most of my life, I also suffer from epilepsy. I’ve looked for sources of support throughout those times where I’ve suffered the very worst of epilepsy’s effects. People who have achieved in their life despite living with it. I’ve looked to footballers, as someone whose life is dominate by the game naturally would. I found Matt Crooks. His successes in his career were also mine. Not because I’ve wanted to be a footballer, just that here’s someone making a success of themselves. Why can’t I be a success?

To speak to Matt, to thank him for that, was wonderful enough. To speak in greater detail about epilepsy was a wonderful pleasure.

We also speak about the terrible passing of his best friend, Jordan Sinnott, last year, but the incredible reaction he has helped to oversee following it. The Shirts for Sinnott campaign is something you can’t have missed if you spend any time on social media, and a foundation trust has been set up in his name since.

Finally, there’s also time to talk about football and mental health more directly. The focus on mental health at his current club, Rotherham United, is much greater than many others.

If you’re new here, follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @K_AndrewsPhotos, and most importantly of all, keep well, keep safe, and keep talking about mental health.

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In today’s episode, we’re speaking to Tim Allen from Mental Health United, who talks us through a project that aims to provide a safe space for those with mental health struggles to play football. It’s a fantastic initiative that Tim has big hopes for. 

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, follow me on @K_AndrewsPhotos, keep safe, keep well and keep talking about mental health.

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We’ll be discussing the need to consider the mental when managing the physical, how the same injury may be treated very differently based on an understanding on the individuals’ minds, how the demands placed on physios to get players back to fitness as quickly as possible creates a risk v reward scenario, and the strain on those in Alastair's profession throughout the coronavirus pandemic. 

We also touch on what was a tough period towards the end of his time at Charlton, with numerous factors coming together and contributing to an injury crisis that was tough for everyone at the club to deal with, not least Alastair. 

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, and follow me on those platforms @K_AndrewsPhotos. Keep well, keep safe, keep talking about mental health.

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Largely working with young players, Luca is passionate about addressing the gaps in support for those at academy level, and particularly those that are released at the end of their scholarships. Not only does he show the value of the relationship between a player and agent, with contract negotiating existing alongside more practical and emotional support, but calls for football to take a holistic approach to managing its mental health problem. Every voice in the game coming together, from the top down, to set standards and ensure players are being protected. 

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, and follow me on those platforms @K_AndrewsPhotos. Keep well, keep safe, keep talking about mental health.

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The number 40 is significant, and she’ll explain why during the podcast.

We also chat about normalising mental health, the unique gamble-like pressure that is placed on a young girl who chooses to focus on becoming a footballer, how social media creates a sense that each individual player in the women’s game represents the entire profession, and the need to ensure mental health support is considered as important as the tactical or technical within the game.

Katie’s passionate, intelligent and insightful. I hope you’ll enjoy listening to our conversation.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, and follow me on those platforms @K_AndrewsPhotos. Keep well, keep safe, keep talking about mental health.

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The former Bristol Rovers and Charlton Athletic man talks openly about an experience that meant he almost quit the game as a teenager, the support his family has given him, a difficulty in adapting to life away from home after first moving to Charlton, a growing interest and belief in spiritualism, social media's dark side, and a need for greater access to support options. 

He also finds the time to take a dig at my photography, which you can't really blame him for.

Follow the podcast on Twitter and Instagram @WellBallingPod, and follow me on those platforms @K_AndrewsPhotos. Keep well, keep safe, keep talking about mental health. 

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I was unaware before Matt’s name was mentioned that a chaplain’s role went beyond a religious or spiritual one. An ignorance probably strengthened by the fact I have no religious beliefs. I learnt through speaking to him that his role extends much wider than that. Of course, religion shapes the role and shapes how Matt’s think, but mental health and mental wellbeing are just as important.

We discuss a role shaped around communication, trust and understanding as much as it is religion, the philosophy of being pastorally proactive and spiritually reactive, the value of those informal conversations, chaplains and counsellors working collaboratively, and the way football’s attitude towards mental health has changed in his 20 years as a chaplain.

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85% of those who earn a scholarship will not be offered a professional contract, 98% of those will have been released by the time they’re 21. And yet, once a young boy enters an academy, there is always the danger they become overcome by the notion that they must dedicate all their energy and efforts to becoming a footballer. The word ‘sacrifices’ is often used by those who do make it, who have given up a lot to become a professional, but those sacrifices more often than not go without reward. The stories that aren’t necessarily heard about. The most common ones.

Luca talked to me about the experience of being let go, coming to terms with the decision, striving to remain grounded in the demanding academy environment, the emotions he’s felt over the previous year, and the difficulties in finding a new route into professional football. 

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He's as experienced as they come. 470 odd Football League appearances, more than 550 professional games, captain at four clubs, three promotions, four relegations, playing for clubs who have faced points deductions, and ownership crisis. But he is very keen to make the point that none of that, that being a footballer, defines him. There is something much more to Jason Pearce than being a footballer, there’s the real Jason Pearce, and that is something we talk in depth about.

And when we talk about his footballing career, namely his experience, we see that his experience is something he utilises to constantly be supportive of others. Particularly those young players coming into the game – if you listened to my chat with George Lapslie in last week’s episode, you’ll know there’s on example.

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The recording took place prior to George's move away from the Addicks, but while it was known he would be leaving on a permanent basis in due course. In fact, he took a break from speaking to his agent to chat with me. It seemed timely to move my chat with the young midfielder up a few weeks on the schedule. 

We speak about dealing with the extreme highs and lows that football offers, which are particularly hard to deal with as a young player, the challenge to overcome the hurt of criticism and instead utilising it as motivation, how studying a university degree has grounded him, how his strong emotional connection to both his partner and their newly born daughter has helped him to realise there’s so much more to George Lapslie the footballer, and of course coming to terms with moving away from his boyhood club.

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It's former Charlton Athletic and Northern Ireland youth international Mikhail Kennedy. Mikhail was forced to retire at the start of 2020 after a series of serious injuries cut short his career at the age of just 23. As I explain in the podcast, Mikhail is someone I deeply admire for his bravery, his openness, his strength, and his passion for the subject matter. 

We talk about the battles he’s faced from loneliness when first moving to England, giving up on taking his GCSEs to do so, dealing with injury setbacks, the one conversation that changed his life, being able to open up and understand himself and his teammates better, the need to challenge football’s stereotypes, and the identity-rebuilding journey he’s been on over the past year since being forced to retire.

Follow the podcast @WellBallingPod on Twitter and Instagram, and follow me @K_AndrewsPhotos. Keep well. 

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We discuss how he accommodates a focus on mental health and wellbeing into his coaching philosophy, the importance of developing rounded young individuals, his loathing of the phrase ‘exit strategy’, and how the academy’s success should be measured not only by the players it produces but by what those who don’t make the grade. 

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Johnnie discusses the need to quickly understand the needs of individuals, the pressures of coaching that you can't prepare yourself for, the transformation in how mental health is perceived within professional football, the tough times of 2020, and being kicked out of the WhatsApp group chat. 

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Bradley had an interesting route into professional football, never being at an academy and only turning professional at the age of 25 after spending the years prior to that in education and non-league football.

We discuss the need for young footballers to be rounded individuals, the identity of the professional football, how rejection was an important factor in his self-development, the mental development he needed to survive in the professional game, the avenues of support that are available for players, and the struggle of retirement. 

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