Nottingham Forest programme plea after fan's suicide
- Published
Jonathan McCartney was an avid Nottingham Forest fan
The family of a devoted Nottingham Forest fan who took his own life have urged others to talk about their struggles with their mental health.
Jonathan McCartney, 35, from Southwell, who died in October, had shown no signs of depression, according to his family.
An article about Jonathan will be in the matchday programme when the Reds take on Bristol City later.
Graham McCartney said his son's death "turned their lives upside down" and now wanted to prevent further suicides.
Jonathan McCartney was a patent attorney and travelled abroad
The 35-year-old had supported the club since 1992, wore his shirt wherever he travelled, and had a season ticket until 2010, when he moved to Bristol, the piece said.
A passage in the article, which highlights Jonathan's Voice, a charity set up in his memory, said: "Jonathan would have been at the game today. He loved singing in the stands. He was Forest till he died, but he died too soon.
"Let's make sure we do what we can to stop this tragic loss of life."
Graham McCartney who said his son's death came "out of the blue" has urged other fans to read the article that he has worked on with the club.
"The message is speak out about mental health, talk about your feelings, accept who you are and look after your state of mind."
Mr McCartney showed no signs he was struggling, according to his family
GP Dr David McCartney, Jonathan's brother, said he often wondered whether he missed any signs that he could have helped.
"It's an absolute huge shock that came from nowhere," he said.
"I see lots of mental health [issues] in my work, should I have been able to see something differently that the rest of the family didn't see?
"You ask yourself [many] questions and then you learn to live with the sadness."
The family will be at the game on Saturday afternoon and have thanked Nottingham Forest Community Trust for their support.
The article has been published in the matchday programme
Suicide rates in the UK for deaths registered in 2016:
People aged 40 to 44 years had the highest suicide rate - 15.3 per 100,000
This age group also had the highest rate among males - 24.1 per 100,000
The age group with the highest rate for females was 50 to 54 years
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