Prince William criticises football clubs for neglecting player welfare and mental health

To optimise for archiving, the original image and related documents associated with this article have been removed.

The Duke of Cambridge has called out football clubs for treating players as “assets” instead of people and neglecting their welfare.

Prince William who is President of the Football Association said clubs are not doing enough to support players and their mental health. He commented, “Many players come from difficult backgrounds and may have all sorts of issues going on…it’s a dereliction of duty I think – having these players not given the key building blocks or support.”

He warned too many players are not given the support they need in building a new life once they are let go by the club if they fail to reach a required standard. In support of this, he announced a new campaign around mental health with the FA, potentially staging a “Mental health FA Cup”.

The Duke, along with the Duchess of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex, have been campaigning for several years on mental health issues, speaking regularly about the stigma and working with various charities and projects to raise awareness.

You may also like

View All

Ohio State University reaches further $100 million settlement with Richard Strauss survivors

Ohio State University will pay $100 million to hundreds of former students, including former student-athletes, who were sexually assaulted by former campus doctor Richard Strauss, who died in 2005

Read More

We’re Hiring | Case Manager – National (Football)

Sport Resolutions has an exciting opportunity for an individual to join its passionate and experienced National case management team to assist with the administration of domestic matters including football disciplinary procedures, Olympic and Paralympic disputes, and anti-doping rule violations

Read More

UK Athletics fined following conclusion of proceedings relating to 2017 athlete fatality

UK Athletics (UKA) has been fined £350,000 and ordered to pay £44,000 in costs after pleading guilty to corporate manslaughter in connection with the death of Emirati Paralympian Abdullah Hayayei during preparations for the 2017 World Para Athletics Championships in London. In sentencing, the court described the circumstances leading to the incident as "wholly avoidable"

Read More