http://www1.skysports.com/football/...m-is-homeless-as-he-struggles-with-addictions Former Arsenal and England full-back Kenny Sansom has revealed he is homeless after struggling with alcoholism and a gambling addiction. The 54-year-old, who was capped 86 times between 1979 and 1988, revealed he has been fighting the problems for several years. "I am in a bad way. Arsenal are trying to help me, but I have got to try to help myself," Sansom told The Sun. "I have been living homeless for 10 days, that's because I've got no money, I'm a drunk, I'm not feeling very well and I'm a gambler. "I've been living on the street." The defender spent eight years at the Gunners, who confirmed they are doing all they can to aid his recovery. "We are aware of Kenny Sansom's situation and have been providing him with ongoing support and guidance," a club statement read.
Sad. When alcohol gets a grip on you it is hard to escape its clutches. Throw on gambling also and you can understand where he is at.
This is very sad news, but I have always struggled with the concept of addiction. I await the predictable outcry, but for me everything is a cost-benefit analysis in which the person can determine the price he/she will pay for a particular course of action and weigh this against the benefits. Of course dependencies on drugs or alcohol can have physical and mental effects that can be difficult to overcome, particularly the weaker the individual and the longer the dependency, and support should be given to those people that truly want to help themselves. But, and particularly in the case of drug use, the initial decision to take such substances is often a selfish one. Sad though it is, the likes of Gazza and Sansom will be aware of the hurt and upset they continue to inflict on both themselves and those that care for them, but deem this an acceptable price to pay compared with the cost of abstinence. Like I'm sure many contributors to this board, I have some modest experience of the subject.
Uber, I had a long and dull response to this, and I would never underestimate that damage and pain that addicts inflict on themselves and and others. But to reduce a hugely complex issue to cost benefit analysis and weakness indicates an empathy deficit mate.
Must admit I was really shocked to read this. In 1975 I was given a new recruit to train at work and he told me his wife's young brother was a youth at Palace and he reckoned he'd play for England one day. I thought it was the usual bullsh!t but over the next few months I met his family and a 16 year olod Kenny. What a lovely bloke he was and as well as being a brilliant full back he was a seriously funny mimic with a great repertoire. It's easy to see that he was the sort of bloke who was such good company that fans seeing him would buy him a drink and then another and we sadly all know where that leads. I wish him well but have the same awful feeling that we all have with Gazza that it will all end in tears.
I too have had some experience of these issues. We seem to live in an increasingly vile society where people appear encouraged to have excuses for their actions and fail to take responsibility. Perpetrators are seen as the poor victims. The simple fact is that from outset, alcohol and drugs and indeed gambling, are individual choices. There are no excuses as to ignorance, we all have access to the media in this country and are well aware as to what drugs can do. Uber is spot on.
Uber – Quite a brave little post there mate, not your usual light hearted and comedic self at all! Many might think that you’ve been too simplistic and unsympathetic, and they’d be partly right, but for my money you’ve raised a very interesting point. I’m not talking about Samson in particular here, but I do share your misgivings about the way that sometimes people abdicate their responsibilities in the name of the “disease” of addiction. I’m not convinced that it’s right to describe it as a disease, or that in the end it actually helps the “addict”. Cancer is a disease. Addiction is a kind of behaviour, and all behaviours are ultimately choices. I worry sometimes that people saying that their behaviour is a disease can be a panacea to allow themselves to take no responsibility for it, and they therefore find it easier to go on ruining the lives of those around them. I noticed on the news this morning that guy who kidnapped those girls for a decade, Ariel Castro, argued in court that his actions weren’t his fault because he was addicted to pornography. What? Or the celebs who say that they can’t help sleeping around because they are sex addicts. Or the father and husband who ruins the lives of his family with abusive behaviour because he’s “addicted” to drink. Sorry, just seems like a cop out to me. Now I like a drink, I like a bit of fatty food and I like sex too (though usually not all at the same time, that’d be messy). If you twist my arms I might admit that I may even have occasionally known the pleasures of a bit of porn and the odd illicit substance or two. Who doesn’t? But like everyone else I know that there are consequences to overindulging in any of them. Having said that, I’ve every sympathy with Samson, and I genuinely hope that he can sort himself out. In many ways he’s got a better chance than many to pull himself together as he has the whole football community as a support network. That’s not something that your average “addict” can rely on, so I hope he makes use of it.
Sad news but just because he had a chance and the luxury of becoming a gambler and could even afford drink makes the whole story a mockery. I prefer to help those who have had no chances in life so far I have little sympathy for what is in effect a news story created just to pull the heart strings Kenny sort yourself out ... you are lucky to be your position as an ex footballer and when you realise that with all the help that coming your way ... recover and never forget... that will be the making of a man. The best lessons in life I feel are those we learn from. I have lived a full life myself and these darker days are so that the brighter ones looks well ... brighter. If you find hardship and it's genuine ( let's be honest there are some ****ing wasters out there who make poverty a bloody industry) ... nothing better than to help out
Consider the comment withdrawn sir, there's more in your original post than I saw in my first scan, plus I struggle to make decent contributions to these types of debate through the medium of messageboards, see too many sides to the argument. I would be genuinely delighted to discuss this over a pint some time though.
You are a good man, Stan. I don't drink, though (which has some connection with my opinions on this).
Agree to the extent that Gazza's problems (can't speak about Sansom) are caused partly by indulgence. His talent and record is such that he is lionized wherever he goes. When you start letting the hype overtake you, it can lead to a downward slope into self -obsession. That's not the only, but it is a big, part of his problem
