Taboo on the Terraces

Mark Halsey is a former Premier League and FIFA list referee, who in his career spent 15 years officiating at the pinnacle of the English game. Mark has been through everything imaginable as a referee, including battling cancer in 2009 and returning to the game just one year later.

In the next episode of Taboo on the Terraces, I speak with Mark about what spurred him on to beat cancer and return to football, his own experience of the horrific abuse referees face, and his highlights from a career refereeing top flight football.

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Imrul Gazi is the first team manager of Sporting Bengal United, a club who play in the Essex Senior League in Step 5 of the Football Pyramid. Imrul also recently appeared in the Micah Richards: Tackling Racism documentary on Sky Sports. Sporting Bengal was established in 1996 to challenge the under-representation of Asians in football, and to offer Bangladeshi and other young Asians in their area the opportunity to play football.

In this next episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan sits down with Imrul to discuss the attitudes towards Asian footballers in the UK, the under-representation of Asians at the highest levels of English football, and also the racism and abuse that he himself but also Sporting Bengal have faced in the game.

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Erin Smith has had a very busy 12 months. When COVID-19 paused her football career, she joined the front line battle in March 2020 by becoming a care worker, and then in the summer was a part of BT Sport's documentary series 'Ultimate Goal'. Most impressive, however, is what she has learnt about herself in that time.

In this episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan discusses with Erin how she was able to recover from one of the darkest moments of her life in August 2019, overcoming her own personal mental health battle, and becoming a role model for young people in the UK. In what has been a tough year for so many, Erin's story is inspiring and a testament to there being light at the end of the tunnel.

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Rhodri Jones had a lot of pressure on his shoulders from a young age. Signed by Manchester United at 14, the boy from Cardiff was even the subject of a Channel 4 documentary on his life as a player at the club, being mentioned alongside club legends like Ryan Giggs and David Beckham. He was seemingly living his dream playing for his boyhood club, but the reality never really matched the hype for him. Due to a succession of knee injuries, Rhodri was released from Man United by Sir Alex Ferguson himself at the age of 20, and was then forced to retire from the game at just 24.

In this episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan talks with Rhodri about how he dealt with not making it as a professional footballer, and how he ended up working first as a documentary filmmaker and television drama director, but also his current work as a 'Mind Fitness Coach'. Rhodri hopes to help those dealing with similar issues to what he has faced such as depression, life trauma, and not feeling good enough for what you want to achieve in life.

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In this next episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan is joined by Craig Stanley, the former Morecambe, Bristol Rovers and Aldershot Town midfielder, and Chris Bright, Welsh Futsal international and founder of 'The Diabetes Football Community.' Craig and Chris are both Type 1 Diabetics.

Craig and Chris discuss TDFC and the work they do in trying to change the stigma surrounding diabetes, and how being T1D impacts their lives and daily routines as well as the effect it has on their football. They also recall the moment they were diagnosed with the condition, and the work that still needs to happen to change the perception of diabetics in society.

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Stephen Cooke was a young man with the world at his feet. Signed by Manchester United at 14, he moved to Aston Villa at 16 and was being touted as one of the hottest prospects in English football. But a horror tackle whilst on loan at Bournemouth shattered his dream, and Stephen retired from the game at 27 years of age.

In this episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan discusses with Stephen how he found developing as a young man with a huge weight of expectation on his shoulders, his own self-doubt and anxieties which he has struggled with since being a young professional, and where his career could have taken him had it all turned out differently.

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Danny Thomas enjoyed a 15 year playing career with clubs including Leicester City, Bournemouth, Macclesfield Town and Hereford. Since leaving the professional game, he has pursued a career away from football, and has also set up his own podcast 'Back of the Net and Beyond.' Danny hopes to help athletes realise the transferable skills they have that will be suited to other industries, and allow them to have successful careers after sport.

In a moment where people may be re-thinking their own careers due to insecurity bought on by the pandemic, Ryan discusses with Danny in this week's episode his insight in to completely changing career after leaving football. They also discuss Danny's early days in the game at the FA's School of Excellence at Lilleshall, and being around Leicester's successful late-90's/early 00's team, in what is a fascinating listen.

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In May 2002, Ross Gardner was captaining an England Under-17's side at the European Championships that contained Wayne Rooney. Just over a year later, he was stood in front of a Premier League tribunal after raising a bullying case at Newcastle United that would shape his life from that point forward, and see him leave the professional game just five years later.

In the next episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan discusses with Ross how a lack of support given to a young footballer would lead to a gambling addiction, how his struggle with grief lead him down a very dark path in his personal life, and how working with the Sporting Chance Clinic quite literally saved his life. Ross' brutally honest depiction of his life to date is an incredible story.

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In March 2009, Jack Rutter was on a night out with friends in Gloucester, celebrating helping Birmingham City reach the semi finals of the FA Youth Cup. A professional contract and a promising career was on the horizon, until one cowardly act completely changed his life.

In this episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan discusses with Jack his inspirational story, from suffering with his own mental health and rising in the face of adversity, and a journey including a 2016 trip to Rio de Janeiro.

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Mark Little has enjoyed a successful club career - he's been a part of multiple football league promotions with Wolverhampton Wanderers, Peterborough United and Bristol City, and also enjoyed two consecutive Wembley cup final wins.

In this episode of Taboo on the Terraces, Ryan discusses with Mark his career in football but also his new goals as he's matured as a player, and as a person. They also tackle the issue of racism in football, and how this has affected Mark's life. 

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Been affected by any of the issues discussed in this episode? Head over to our website to find useful resources and contact numbers.