A poignant new memorial dedicated to the late football star Gary Speed will be placed outside Everton's new stadium, serving as a 'talking bench' to foster community and mental wellbeing.
A Fitting Tribute to a Football Legend
The bench, installed with the full support of Speed's family, aims to encourage conversation, tackle loneliness and isolation, and signpost people to mental health support. It will be situated on the Budweiser Fan Plaza outside the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Gary Speed, a Wales international who captained his country and played for Everton, Leeds United, Newcastle United, Sheffield United, and Bolton Wanderers, died 14 years ago this week. His former teammate and close friend, Everton icon Neville Southall, has warmly welcomed the installation.
Encouraging Vital Conversations
Southall reflected on the bench's significance, stating, "You would never associate Gary with a bench, because he was a fella who seemed to have everything. But in many respects it's very apt." He added, "If you sit there and think everybody else's life is perfect, you can reflect on a man who was a wonderful footballer and a great manager - but still had his own problems."
The bench bears a dedicated inscription that reads: "IN MEMORY OF GARY SPEED, EVERTONIAN, CAPTAIN, LEADER 1969–2011. A place for what is often unspoken. A place to sit, share and listen."
A Lasting Community Legacy
Dave Wycherley, vice chair of the Everton Fans Forum, emphasised the constructive nature of the tribute. "We wanted to remember Gary Speed in the most constructive way, and we hope this bench becomes a lasting legacy," he said. "Problems feel lighter when shared, and Everton has always been a club where supporters mix, talk, and escape life's pressures for a while."
The bench is part of a wider national initiative, with similar benches appearing in parks and public spaces across the UK. It offers discreet signposting to professional support, including a QR code that provides direct access to mental health programmes run by Everton in the Community.
These programmes include The People's Place, the first purpose-built mental health and wellbeing hub established by a Premier League club, which opened in March 2023.
The project shares its ethos with the suicide prevention charity 'Legend on the Bench', run by former Chelsea and Spurs player Micky Hazard. Having lost his own nephew to suicide, Hazard's charity aims to install benches with similar supportive messages and resources nationwide.
