Merson Gambling

By Neil Ravenscroft
February 11 2004

The irony of us having an official web site full of gambling adverts should not be lost on anyone today, as the Evening Mail seem to have the full Merson story.

The Mail is reporting that Walsall hope to have Paul Merson back at the club and training again in a month.

He apparantly checked into the Sierra Tucson Clinic in Arizona yesterday to seek help for a gambling addiction.

The club seem confident, however, that his problems will not prevent him from returning to play for the First Division club again this season.

The Mail says:- "Merson, a recovering alcoholic and self-confessed gambling addict, has admitted to problems with drink and drugs but it is his fixation with betting that has persistently plagued him — forcing him to fly out to the United States this week for treatment with the club’s blessing.

Walsall sent their sports scientist Jim Walker — who worked with Merson at Villa — as a travelling companion but Merson will remain in America on his own for treatment".

Saddlers midfielder Simon Osborn told the paper "It is a massive loss. Paul Merson is a great footballer and he has been at all his clubs previously and at Walsall.
We are all rooting for him: everybody knows the situation with him and what has gone on before.
All the lads have just wished him all the best and hopefully we can get him back on the training ground and on the pitch as soon as possible."

Personally, I can only reiterate those thoughts and wish him a speedy recovery from what is a disease on a personal level, as well as within society as a whole.