Caroline Elwood-Stokes

Locked Up Caroline Elwood-Stokes

In 2013, I decided to carry out research into the reasons why professional footballers turn to crime either during or after the end of their career on the pitch. This research coincided with the work I was doing at the time with my Organisation Football's Awareness of Mental Health. I wanted to know if a professional football career contributed towards the crime they had committed and vice versa, I wanted to know what made the mind tick within a professional player. Having wrote to every single Prison in the UK asking if there was any professional footballers behind bars in their facility, I eventually found one in the North of England. My letter was passed on to the player who's name has been changed for the purpose of this book I first wrote to Jacob introducing myself and to introduce the work that I was doing around mental health within football. Jacob did reply almost immediately and we exchanged several letters to and from his prison cell. After writing back to him, there was a longer wait than usual for his reply and I wasn't certain if he wanted to continue talking or not but I decided to send the previous letter anyway. Eventually, I did receive a letter from Jacob who apologised for the dely. I explained that there really was no need to apologise, it was his choice to talk to me after all Jacob had mentioned in his letter that he was still attending sessions with his counsellor in which I could connect with as I found my own experience with my counsellor extremely useful when I lost my own football career. Jacob explained that he wished he had sought counselling much sooner than he had, I also wish I had spoken to my counsellor sooner instead of waiting more than a decade. My counsellor, Penny, basically saved my life. I also owe my life to my GP for his tremendous support. Even til this day, he continues to be very understanding. Jacob described how he would have 'down' moments, I was especially keen to learn more about the environment Jacob was in. I guessed that being in his cell was a constant reminder of his darker days. I was eager to ask Jacob, What did he do when he had one of those down moments? Could he talk to his counsellor any time he wanted or needed too? How did the other prisoners treat him? Had he ever received negative treatment because he was a Footballer?