Paul Merson Documentary

I think unless you have had experience of addiction yourself or have had to watch someone close to you struggle and fail, then it's too easy to judge. I grew up with a cousin who was more like a brother to me. He was a bit older than me but he'd come on holiday with us and spent loads of time at our house when I was a kid. He was really intelligent, brilliant with figures - which contributed to his downfall really - and as soft as anything. His life was ruined, utterly ruined by a gambling addiction and he never beat it. He lost everything and everyone, and ended up doing several spells in jail over the years due to petty thieving from employers to fund his gambling. He died early - in his early 50s - from a brain haemorrhage undoubtedly caused by stress-related high blood pressure. Despite all this, he really was a lovely fella, just utterly driven and controlled by the desperate need to gamble. It was as strong as any other addiction I've heard of and I pity anyone stuck in its destructive cycle.
 
I was thinking about gambling addiction in a wider context and not just specifically Paul Merson.
His story is very moving - and not untypical in my experience.

The whole thing about "SkyBet" is worrying -

SkyBet is owned by FlutterEntertainment [ https://www.flutter.com/ ] who reported total revenues for 2020 at 4,398,000,000 GBP`s [The total for the whole group]

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Flutter owns leading brands:

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Sadly, I've witnessed the horrors of gambling affect many of my workmates over the years.

We, here in Oz, used to have a fantastic music pub scene where many of our world wide known bands got their first start.
Every pub on every corner had live music nightly and the choice of music was endless until the dreaded pokie machines took over.

You now find people of all ages and sex sitting at them seemingly in a trance pouring their hard earned into them and the pubs
are making far more money now than before when having to fork out money to the musicians.
They dont even need to sell alcohol anymore like they did when they did have live music.

It's not only sad for the " hooked " but also for our music scene.
 
I apologise if I came across as lacking empathy, I would hate to be in his situation and its been clear over the years that he's suffering with mental health problems.

The thing I find difficult to listen to with Merson are his constant digs at the club and area over the years, maybe some of this has stemmed from periods where he's been drinking or when he's been depressed but I've never heard him apologise for those comments either.

I had hoped that 23 years after leaving here might have given him time to reflect and maybe realise that sometimes his comments about the club might have been misjudged.

I feel sorry for him and the stuff he went through and he was one of the best players I've seen in a Boro shirt, I was also very disappointed with the way he left here and feel that he's shown very little respect to the club or area since. Are we allowed to have that opinion?
 
Gambling addiction clearly had Merson in its jaws. He probably would never have left Arsenal if it was not for his addiction. He felt a victim to me and as such I had empathy for him as I would most drug addicts.

The programme really did show the problems of gambling, particularly for young men. It kills 1 a day, much more than Covid for that group. It showed to me how gambling companies can suck every penny out of some victims. One gambler had one gambling company pay for all the online information his cookie trail etc so they could get more bets out of him. His report was 94 pages long. If that doesn't scare viewers and people on here I would be very surprised.

I recognise the buzz a bet can give someone. I love looking at games and making predictions and putting a few foot ball bets on a Saturday. When the bets on it would give the the same feeling as a Boro game at 2.55pm. Where Merse seems different as he chases his losses and loses more.
 
I thought it was a quite moving documentary.

Merson is first and foremost a victim of an industry that largely doesn't care. The statements at the end show just how screwed up the whole idea of regulation is.

I get the fact that his time here ended under a cloud, but having watched the brain stuff and heard the testimony from other players and the relatives of other victims, I have huge amounts of sympathy for him.

Yes, he could be a bit more gracious about Boro, but given the scale of everything I've just watched, I don't really care that it's not his top priority.
 
If I was serious about teaching others about the pitfalls of gambling addiction, I would do anything else but advertise a betting site. He’s lost money, he’s had help for his addiction and this is his strategy. Sympathy? I have sympathy for those he has affected due to his selfish actions.

The guy is a cretin.
 
Some right horrible comments on this thread

give your heads and shake, grow up and have some F***ing empathy

what a repulsive vile message board this is at times

I have no idea why I’ve looked to people on here for help with my mental health. Seriously.

it’s only a bloody game of football

Bit harsh considering the numerous excellent bits of advice I have seen posters on here give you. I agree that some comments above are wrong about Merson and addiction but no need to tarnish everyone under the same brush and the generosity towards you on this board has been massive.
 
Some pretty appalling comments. I guess it's hardly unexpected😕

I guess people have never had someone they know or been in the grip of any addiction. If it's gambling or drugs / booze it's all the same.

I personally think he's doing a good job of promoting his issues. You look online and it's mainly people saying they are in the same boat.

I do question his decision to be envolved in a gambling add. You'd think sky would know better than to even ask. Then again he simply maybe just got offered silly money.

I know he left under a cloud. That said anyone who saw him in the flesh that one season cannot fail to praise his absolute talent. We had an England International playing for us in the champo.

The guy was a 9/10 every week. I doubt the champo has seen many better players. He was a joy to watch. I'd argue one of the best technical and quick thinking players we've had (I get it was in the champo and he fecked off after a season). An absolute 'baller' as the fifa generation say😂
 
I said I don’t wish him any ill

but as I say i have a long memory.
You have a chip on your shoulder.

The brain stuff is scary, he has a brain disease like the guy says, he doesn’t get much pleasure from the things we get pleasure from. It’s really sad, especially when he realises.

if he had early onset dementia would you show the same lack of empathy?
 
I don’t wish him any ill

But after what he did to this club after all we’d done for him. I could care less about him.

he shafted us blamed all his demons on and kicked those that helped him in the teeth.
Define ‘all that we’d done for him’

I mean quoting Keith lamb in the immediate aftermath, he was feeling raw.

everyone knows there was a massive drinking culture at the club under robson
 
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