Players and fans alike were encouraged to spend 60 seconds talking about mental health before Norwich City FC's victory over Hull City on Saturday. The Canaries are helping to make the “ultimate difference” by playing their part in removing the stigma around the subject of mental health.
To mark World Mental Health Day on Thursday, Norwich continued their awareness-raising efforts with an eye-catching initiative, hosting football’s first ever Minute Unsilenced before the match. All inside Carrow Road were encouraged to use the 60 seconds to begin a conversation about mental health, with both sets of players involved in pre kick-off huddles. This campaign follows Norwich's powerful short film titled ‘You Are Not Alone,’ which went viral last year.
Norwich defender Jack Stacey, 28, highlighted the importance of discussing mental health, stating, “A massive theme of mental health is getting people talking, especially men and younger men. Football fits that demographic perfectly so to be able to promote that idea of speaking rather than being silent is really something we were proud to be a part of.“ He added, “It almost starts the conversation but also, subconsciously, makes it a subject that is not taboo or has a stigma to it.”
Stacey expressed optimism for the future, noting, “The awareness of having people to speak to and also removing the stigma has been growing through my time as a footballer and hopefully continues to increase.” He hopes individuals in need feel comfortable seeking help: “If someone is in that position I’d like to think they would be comfortable speaking to the relevant people that can help them.”
Norwich’s 2023 World Mental Health Day video, which was viewed over 300 million times in 150 countries, has proven to be an important conversation starter among players. Stacey shared, “A lot of the lads spoke about that in the changing room,” further noting the impact it has had outside football, stating, “I’ve also had a lot of people that know nothing about football or Norwich, they’ve watched it, it affected them and they want to speak to me about it.”
Such initiatives demonstrate how football clubs like Norwich City FC can use their platform to spread awareness and promote positive change within their communities, as reported by The Mirror.