In this miserable, divisive, horrible world, there are still people who care.
The iconic goalkeeper is taking on a new project in the name of the late, great Gary Speed
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The new mission of Neville Southall and why saving has become his way of life
The iconic goalkeeper is taking on a new project in the name of the late, great Gary Speed
Southall has become a voice for the voiceless through his tireless activism (Image: Gwent Gazette)
There's always only been one word to describe Neville Southall. It doesn’t matter if you’re talking about his playing days or him now, in retirement – the legendary goalkeeper has always been remarkable. Between the sticks he was a colossus, winning 92 caps for Wales in a 15-year international career, while making almost 600 appearances for Everton and helping the Toffees to become the best team in the country, if not Europe.
Nearly 30 years in the game saw him represent no fewer than 18 different clubs and at his peak, he was simply the finest keeper in the world. But even now, two decades on from hanging up his boots, having just turned 65, Big Nev has time and time again shown how special he is through his unwavering dedication to help those in trouble and in need.
Having worked for years as a teaching assistant at a pupil referral unit in
Ebbw Vale, he has now also taken on a new job with
Blaenau Gwent council, supporting people to get ready for, or back into, work. Then there’s his endless activism, handing over the reins of his X-formerly-known-as-Twitter account over to charities and minority groups to highlight and support their work and educate himself and others; as well as his role advising the Welsh FA on social partnerships.
Southall’s commitment to these causes never falters and has won him legions of online fans, in addition to those who adored him as a player. But, in his own words, he doesn’t think he is anything special.
“It’s just what normal people do, isn’t it?,” he said, when asked what drives him to continually help others. “It’s because of the way I was brought up, I think. I’ve had help my whole life. I was 12 years old playing in a man’s league because somebody, admittedly my uncle, gave me a chance and everyone there looked after me.
“When I went to Winsford, there was a fella called Peter Warburton who basically picked me up from the station and drove me everywhere, so I could play. At Everton all the senior goalies helped me out too. It stems from all of that really, I think it’s just what normal people do. I wouldn’t call it anything out of the ordinary.
“We’ve helped out well over 100 charities on
Twitter now,” he continued. “And obviously I try and bring charities in to meet people at the Welsh FA too and we’ve had a lot of successful partnerships formed.
“I just think in this day and age, it’s how we’re supposed to live isn’t it? The world is very judgemental, all the television programmes are about judging things, all the papers and magazines are judging people and then you have the government that wants to divide people. So we’ve got a divided community and a judgmental society, with people feeling more isolated and communities breaking down.
“I think what I do is just what normal people do in their community, they help each other. So for me, it’s nothing. I don’t think I’m doing anything special. I just think I’m doing what normal people do.”
Southall hasn’t always had his eyes as open as they are now, however. You don’t become the world’s best goalkeeper without an unwavering commitment to football, shutting out the outside world to an extent to focus on the job in hand and living life in a bubble.
“To be honest, you don’t give a s*** about any of that,” he admits. “You’re trying to build your career and establish yourself. Football is like a cattle market, there’s always someone who wants to take your place, so you have to be focused on what you’re doing and on the next game.”
'Big Nev' was the best goalkeeper in the world at his peak (Image: EMPICS Sports Photo Agency)
After retiring in 2002, life outside of that bubble has allowed Southall to become the man he is today. Well-versed in everything from addiction issues to trans rights and outspoken on the policies of the Conservative UK Government. He has become a voice for the voiceless, an unlikely hero for those fighting to be heard and supported.
Football, of course, remains his first love and our wide-ranging conversation touches upon various topics within the game. There are words of wisdom around the plight of his former club Everton and the negativity surrounding Wales’ Euro 2024 qualification hopes, essentially amounting in both cases to “don’t panic”. But there are deeper issues to discuss, from the growing isolation of the working class within the game and the growth of the corporate football machine, with clubs becoming “money-making' entities and putting revenue above all else.
They are problems too massive for one person – even Big Nev – to solve on their own, and they are certainly not the only ones dogging the game. Having followed Wales’ progress from home during last year’s “ridiculous” World Cup in Qatar, where thousands of workers died and it remains illegal to be gay, he knows better than most how much work remains to be done to make the game safe and welcoming for all.
But whatever his relationship now with football, Southall is at least grateful to be in a position to do something, anything to help.
His success as a player made him a household name, a figure who commands great respect, and he is now lending himself to one of the most important – and most personal – causes yet as he honours his late friend Gary Speed.
Former Wales manager and captain Speed, who tragically took his own life in November 2011 aged 42, 11 months after agreeing to manage his country, is credited with kickstarting Wales’ football revolution which put them on the path to feature at major tournaments in recent years such as the 2016 Euros and last year’s first World Cup for Wales since 1958.
You can contact the Samaritans for non-judgmental advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by calling 116 123 or by emailing jo@samaritans.org.
Created by former Wales kitman Tony Quaglia, who worked closely with Speed during his career, 11Speed is a charity that has set out to organise events nationwide to not only remember the legendary midfielder, but also support various mental health charities across the country. Southall and former Wales star Andy Melville are also both part of the team, while the likes of Rob Page, Robbie Savage and Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink have all lent their support to the cause.
An inaugural dinner event at Manor Park Hotel in Clydach last night saw nearly 500 people attend, with Southall grilled in a Q&A with Bruce Grobbelar alongside musical entertainment and an auction. Ahead of the event, the legendary goalkeeper has unsurprisingly been reminiscing about the time he spent with Speed at Everton, as well as on international duty with Wales.
“His character, his determination, his brain was just so great,” he said. “When he came to Everton, after a game he went back out onto the pitch. I asked him where he was going and he replied that he was going for a ‘cool down’.
“Nobody ever goes out for a cool down, I said. Usually we’d be in the players’ lounge or getting on the bus home. But seeing him do it, I thought f*** it, I’ll go out with him too then.
“So he pulled me out, and as the weeks went by, more and more of our teammates came out to join us. His influence was clear to see and that continued right throughout his career.”
Speed’s death has not got any less shocking in the 12 years since the news that shook football first broke. Many of those closest to the former Leeds United star still can’t believe that he is gone, and while Southall is well educated in his role as a patron for a suicide charity, it still took him time to get his head around the loss.
Now, typically, he is focused on making a difference, not just in his work with 11Speed, but in educating the next generation about the importance of mental health.
“If we all had thought bubbles, it’d be much easier for us, wouldn’t it?,” he said. “Once something like that happens we can always look back and go, ‘Oh, yeah, I thought this, I thought that’. But I think the thing to remember is that a ‘hello’ or a ‘how are you?’ – whether that’s in person or just in a text or email – can make a massive difference.
“Humans have got this incredible superpower. Everybody has got it. Our superpower is the ability to ask somebody if they are okay. But we never teach our kids about it – they watch Superman and Spider-Man and all of them, but they’ve got a superpower that can save lives. We all need to use it.”
Saving comes naturally to Southall – it’s in his blood. When he was in goal, nothing got past him. Today, armed with a huge heart and an A account, no call for help goes unanswered.
He, nor Quaglia nor Melville could save their friend Gary. But they are now out to save as many people as they can, and doing it in the former Wales captain’s name makes their mission even more special.
“It is such an important cause and it could help so many people,” said Southall. “To be able to use Gary’s name for something so positive and that can help so many is really great.
“For me, it’s about continuing Gary’s voice in a different way really. It was a truly tragic event, but by doing something like this, we can avoid lots of families having to go through what his family went through – and that can only be a good thing.”
The mission of the 11Speed charity is to organise events nationwide in remembrance of Gary Speed to support various mental health charities. After last night’s inaugural charity event, more events are being planned for the future. Find out more on the charity’s X page @11speed2023
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