Billy Kee. Footballer to Bricklayer

Aragorn

Aragorn

Well-Known Member
www.bbc.co.uk

'I tried living the dream, now I'm happy laying bricks'

Having retired from professional football because of mental health issues, Billy Kee is rebuilding his life working on a building site near Leicester.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Interesting story.

As outsiders we always believe a professional footballer has to be the job anybody would want to have.

I shouldn't be surprised anymore when stories like the above come out as it appears to happen more and more.

The stress must be unbelievable at times with your every waking minute being scrutinized.

Just shows that sometimes you just have to walk away regardless of what you are giving up in respect of money, fame etc to improve your quality of life.
 
I think that you need to have a certain mental toughness to play professionally now. Notwithstanding abuse dished out at games by both your own and opposition supporters they are subjected to horrific on line abuse daily.
Sometimes we are too quick to criticise and forget the ramifications of what we say about players.
 
Blue Goose said:
I think that you need to have a certain mental toughness to play professionally now. Notwithstanding abuse dished out at games by both your own and opposition supporters they are subjected to horrific on line abuse daily.
Sometimes we are too quick to criticise and forget the ramifications of what we say about players.
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You've always had to have mental toughness to play football; there are few tougher places than a dressing room, with your own team mates.
 
When I was working offshore there was this guy who came onto the platform working for a drilling company.
He was on Aberdeen's books after leaving school, didn't make it but he went on to play over 300 games for Inverness including being in the teams that beat both Rangers & Celtic.
I can't remember his name but he told some good stories, ( including one about Barry Robson ,ex scum singing the sash )
Now this guy seemed delighted & enthusiastic in his new career path , & he was young enough to probably continue playing for some other side, but no he gave it up.
 
It's not confined to football. I worked in Canada where the guys were in awe of a young lad who had been drafted but chose not to continue in hockey. I spoke to him and his reasons he chose to try something, else. He spoke about the pressure, the huge failure rates, how short a career it is, the actual percentage of guys that make the life changing money, the reality of the lifestyle and the fear that you were one injury away from having nothing.
 
mulguy1953 said:
When I was working offshore there was this guy who came onto the platform working for a drilling company.
He was on Aberdeen's books after leaving school, didn't make it but he went on to play over 300 games for Inverness including being in the teams that beat both Rangers & Celtic.
I can't remember his name but he told some good stories, ( including one about Barry Robson ,ex scum singing the sash )
Now this guy seemed delighted & enthusiastic in his new career path , & he was young enough to probably continue playing for some other side, but no he gave it up.
Click to expand...

A lot more money to be made working on oil rigs than playing football in the Scottish championship.
 
Blue Goose said:
I think that you need to have a certain mental toughness to play professionally now. Notwithstanding abuse dished out at games by both your own and opposition supporters they are subjected to horrific on line abuse daily.
Sometimes we are too quick to criticise and forget the ramifications of what we say about players.
Click to expand...
As a professional footballer you are in a constant state of competition for your place in the team, your position in the dressing room hierarchy, your status as a “footballer” and the life that goes with it (and that’s from the very top as a Man City player right down to what people expect of you as a player in the Championship or lower leagues).
It is a very toxic environment.

Most footballers are pretty horrible people as a result. For every Jermain Defoe or Ally McCoist there are hundreds of utter wankers who would stab their teammates in the back (or pump their wife) but who end up in quite a privileged position because they can kick a football around better than most.
 
mulguy1953 said:
When I was working offshore there was this guy who came onto the platform working for a drilling company.
He was on Aberdeen's books after leaving school, didn't make it but he went on to play over 300 games for Inverness including being in the teams that beat both Rangers & Celtic.
I can't remember his name but he told some good stories, ( including one about Barry Robson ,ex scum singing the sash )
Now this guy seemed delighted & enthusiastic in his new career path , & he was young enough to probably continue playing for some other side, but no he gave it up.
Click to expand...

Iain Stewart im sure, there are quite w few ex players who have moved into oil and gas jobs.

fraser fyvie is now in business development sales.
 
Good for him. If you can find happiness in what you’re doing, regardless of what it is, you’re doing something right.
 
JMCK said:
You've always had to have mental toughness to play football; there are few tougher places than a dressing room, with your own team mates.
Click to expand...

Genuine laugh out loud moment reading that nonsense. Off the top of my head here are some tougher places to work

Army
Fire Service
Nurse
Doctor
Copper
Paramedic
Carer

I'm sure 99% of folk on this forum have jobs that are tougher places to work than being a footballer and being on the end of dressing room "bants"
 
TheFridge said:
Genuine laugh out loud moment reading that nonsense. Off the top of my head here are some tougher places to work

Army
Fire Service
Nurse
Doctor
Copper
Paramedic
Carer

I'm sure 99% of folk on this forum have jobs that are tougher places to work than being a footballer and being on the end of dressing room "bants"
Click to expand...
Going by your post, I should have said there are only several places tougher.
 
I met Billy a few times at accy including the day accy won the league and he was a great guy and did well as a goal scorer in that league. He played for a few clubs between spells at accy but never felt more at home there and was well loved.

He was always open about his mental health problems and it's good to see he is getting on with his life. He could easily still have been playing but for that
 
TheFridge said:
Genuine laugh out loud moment reading that nonsense. Off the top of my head here are some tougher places to work

Army
Fire Service
Nurse
Doctor
Copper
Paramedic
Carer

I'm sure 99% of folk on this forum have jobs that are tougher places to work than being a footballer and being on the end of dressing room "bants"
Click to expand...
It was nothing to do with dressing room "bants" in this case. Mental health problems are more to it than that.
 
das said:
It was nothing to do with dressing room "bants" in this case. Mental health problems are more to it than that.
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As they are in other jobs. Im sorry but footballer is nowhere near the top of the most stressful jobs list
 
TheFridge said:
As they are in other jobs. Im sorry but footballer is nowhere near the top of the most stressful jobs list
Click to expand...
It's nothing to do with stressful jobs, it was to do with depression among other things from being away from his family. That could happen to anyone irrespective of how stressful their job is. Different people react to things differently. Or shouldn't people have mental health problems if they don't meet your criteria?
 
das said:
It's nothing to do with stressful jobs, it was to do with depression among other things from being away from his family. That could happen to anyone irrespective of how stressful their job is. Different people react to things differently. Or shouldn't people have mental health problems if they don't meet your criteria?
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Nothing to do with me. But to claim footballer is a stressful job is nonsense. The man is better suited to being a bricky so good luck to him.
 
The most shocking thing about this thread is Barry Robson singing the sash. That guy looked like he had mentally challenged oozing out of him.
 
das said:
Why don't you just tell him to man up then. That's the old fashioned approach to mental illness.
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Not at all. He couldn't handle the pressure and made a good decision to go into a profession that he was capable of. He should be applauded for that
 
TheFridge said:
Not at all. He couldn't handle the pressure and made a good decision to go into a profession that he was capable of. He should be applauded for that
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It was nothing to do with the pressure of the job as such it was to do with being away from his family. Didn't you get that bit?
 
A brickie can earn a decent wage.

Only downside is when its 5 degrees and under your fuuked if self employed.
 
das said:
It was nothing to do with the pressure of the job as such it was to do with being away from his family. Didn't you get that bit?
Click to expand...

My original and only point was that footballer isn't a particularly stressful job (another poster said it was). I didn't make any comment on the player in question other than to applaud him for being big enough to take a lower paying job that is better suited to his personality. Most folk would've continued to plug away at it as the money was good at the expense of their mental health.
 
Jimmy Jazz said:
That's livin alright.
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TheFridge said:
Nothing to do with me. But to claim footballer is a stressful job is nonsense. The man is better suited to being a bricky so good luck to him.
Click to expand...

Tavernier has 50k people cursing his name every other Saturday. Being a footballer is a very unique stress but a stress none the less. So much expectation and pressure. I couldn't imagine it. Doesn't mean it isn't a fantastic profession .
 
Belvedre said:
Tavernier has 50k people cursing his name every other Saturday. Being a footballer is a very unique stress but a stress none the less. So much expectation and pressure. I couldn't imagine it. Doesn't mean it isn't a fantastic profession .
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The pressure Rangers and Celtic players must be under living in a goldfish bowl like Glasgow must be insane. Definitely takes a certain type of character to handle it.
 
dt17 said:
The pressure Rangers and Celtic players must be under living in a goldfish bowl like Glasgow must be insane. Definitely takes a certain type of character to handle it.
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For sure and there are relatively few who have similar experiences. I'd imagine it would be quite difficult for footballers to find proper people to give them support
 
Peter withe who was a good player for villa in the early 80s came into football late i think.
Possibly had been a welder.
Sure it was him.
 
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