Times today Jeremy Wisten’s mum messages me when I score — I get survivor’s guilt’ Blackburn’s Tyrhys Dolan, who was best friends with former Manchester City youngster who took his own life, on coping with loss and the perils of academy system For young footballers, rejection can bite hard. Tyrhys Dolan, a gifted winger at Blackburn Rovers, discovered that when he was released by Manchester City at 15. It was removing the club’s name from his social media accounts. Being at school with the other academy players, at St Bede’s College in Whalley Range, only to be left behind when they went off to training. Dolan landed at Preston North End and a year later his best friend turned up there too. Jeremy Wisten was in the year below Dolan at City but eventually he was confronted by the same crushing disappointment, with the coaching staff informing him that he too would not be receiving a professional scholarship. He could continue his education at fee-paying St Bede’s, as part of the commitment City made to all their youngsters. But he would have to play football elsewhere. Preston offered Wisten a trial, and in a training session that represented his one opportunity to make an impression he found himself directly up against Dolan. Wisten was at right back, Dolan on the left flank. Dolan liked Wisten from the moment he started chatting to him in the players’ canteen at City’s academy. Then aged 13, Wisten was warm and funny, and the pair shared a passion for fashion and music. They also both lived on the south side of Manchester and it was not long before Wisten’s mum was regularly dropping him at Dolan’s family home in Broadheath. They were inseparable, hanging out together on Dolan’s estate or jumping on the tram into the city centre. When it came to that trial at Preston, nobody wanted Wisten to succeed more than Dolan. “I looked out for him like a big brother,” Dolan says. “I said to him, ‘Show me the left side and I’m going to go to the right, and you can take me down.’ He was easily good enough to play at Preston but I wanted him to impress the coaches, even if it meant making myself look shit.” Did he nail the tackle? “Oh yeah, he did me,” Dolan says with a smile. Sadly, it was not enough. Preston passed on Wisten and so did the other clubs that looked at him. “I think he went to Swansea after that but he struggled after being let go by City,” Dolan says. “It really knocked his confidence. Wisten instead took a job in a sports shop at the Trafford Centre but he and Dolan remained the closest of mates. “I was on £125 a week at Preston and sometimes I couldn’t afford to put petrol in my car,” he says. “Jeremy would end up giving me money.” On the surface, at least, Wisten remained in good spirits. They organised a night out for Wisten’s 18th birthday at a smart Italian restaurant in the village of Hale Barns. Wisten, Dolan and two other friends. “He wanted to go to a nightclub but it was in Covid time so we were limited as to what we could do,” Dolan says. “But we had a great time. It got to midnight and the other two wanted to go home. Jeremy was like, ‘Nah, Ty, we need to stay out.’ We ended up booking a hotel so we could have a couple more drinks and enjoy ourselves. “He seemed really happy. He was always the life and soul of any party. He made everyone laugh. Everyone loved it when he turned up because he had this good energy.” Yet two weeks later Wisten was dead. An inquest determined that the teenager had taken his own life. Dolan starts to shake as he recalls the message he received from Wisten’s sister; then the telephone conversation he had with Wisten’s mother. “I remember that morning so clearly,” he says. “I’d signed for Blackburn [three months earlier] by then and my mum was making a cup of tea before I left for training. I was looking at the weather out the window. I said it’s going to be a lovely day. And then I got the message to call his mum … she was trying to be strong and thanked me for being his best mate.” Even now, almost five years on, Dolan struggles to process what happened. “He just seemed like he was OK, which is scary because it just shows how good he was at masking it,” he says. “But clearly behind closed doors he was really hurting; he was broken. “For me it’s tough because you then start to question yourself. You think, ‘Well, if I was a good friend I should have seen that.’ But you also don’t want to beat yourself up. I didn’t see it. His own family didn’t expect it either. I try to be thankful for his friendship.” We are in a café not far from St George’s Church in Altrincham, where Wisten’s funeral was held. Dolan was among the pallbearers. “I also wrote a poem but I honestly can’t remember reading it during the service,” he says. “I don’t really remember carrying the coffin either. “It’s weird but it’s like the trauma has just made me forget it. I’m still close to all his friends. I still drop in and see his mum for a cup of tea. But at the time I really struggled with anxiety. “Everywhere I went, I felt like everyone was looking at me because they knew I was closest to him. I felt it at the funeral too.” Dolan dealt with his grief by trying to do something positive. He became an ambassador for Go Again, a mental health sports charity for children and adults. Part of that involves making himself available for counselling, and talking not just about his dear friend but also about the challenges he has faced on his own journey through football. “I’ve spoken to a few players, giving advice to lads who have been released by clubs,” he says. “I do think football could do more to give players a better understanding of how hard it really is. And it could maybe do more to help players who are released. The PFA does this really good thing with its summer camps for out-of-contract players. I wonder whether there could be something like that for younger players too.” He reflects on his departure from City. “It was tough because you’re proud to be a City player,” he says. “Everyone knew me around the area as that. And coming from Manchester, it’s massive. “So it was obviously hard to then tell people that you don’t play for City any more. Taking Man City out of my social media stuff, that was upsetting. I’ve got friends who no longer play football, who left ‘footballer’ on their social media stuff for ages because it was so hard to take it down.” Dolan was in a talented year group that included Cole Palmer. “I’ve always had quite a good mindset,” he says. “I can bounce back from things. But it was difficult at school too. “Again, you’re no longer one of the City players. You’re seeing the boys go to training, just watching them leave. You’re embarrassed.” Preston represented a significant change. “I went from being at the CFA [City Football Academy], the best facilities in the world, to training at the University of Lancashire, with people walking their dogs and the academy manager having to chase kids off the pitch,” he says. “But at least I was enjoying my football. At City I hadn’t been playing much and that was the only thing that mattered. I don’t really need glitz and glamour.” He spent three years at Preston but ran into another roadblock at 18. With no under-21 set-up at the club at that time, he either had to be deemed ready for first-team action or he was out. Preston let him go. Scouts in the region were nevertheless aware of Dolan’s talent as a quick, skilful, attacking winger who could score goals and possessed impressive levels of endurance, a product of his commitment to extra running training under the guidance of his dad, Matt. Covid added a further complication but a door finally opened at Blackburn, and in July 2020 Dolan signed his first professional contract, worth £325 a week. A training session involving a mixture of first-team players and youngsters proved a turning point. “Tony Mowbray was the manager and he said, ‘Who’s that over there,’ and the academy manager told him they’d just signed me,” Dolan says. “He said, ‘I’ll bring him up with us and see how he does,’ and I never looked back. Some of the older players said they couldn’t believe I’d been released by Preston.” Dolan made 37 appearances in the Championship during that 2020-21 season, and has been a first-team regular at Ewood Park ever since. In the most recent campaign he made 44 appearances, scoring seven goals. Along the way he also secured two caps for England Under-20, which included a goal against Germany. This, however, is stuff he often struggles to talk about. “If I score a goal Jeremy’s mum will message me straight away,” he says. “And the mates I have who are no longer footballers, who are now doing normal jobs, will come to watch me play. Jeremy was buzzing for me when I made my first-team debut for Blackburn. He was the first to message me. He was so happy for me that I’d made it. “But sometimes I get that survivor’s guilt; where you’ve made it but you really want your best friends to have made it with you. They’re watching you living your dream but it was their dream too. They love to support me, and I really appreciate that. But sometimes I don’t even like speaking about it, as sad as that is, because I don’t want to glorify it too much. I just know how much it would have meant to them to be a footballer too.” Dolan has now arrived at another crossroads in his career. A new deal is on offer at Blackburn but he has allowed his present contract to lapse in the hope of securing a move to a Premier League club this summer. “I’m very grateful to Blackburn,” he says. “I’ve been through some of the worst as well as the best times in my life while being there. The club means so much to me. I made my professional debut for them and they helped me so much when Jeremy died. “But it’s a short career and I’ve always wanted to play at the top level, and at this point I’m a free agent with the belief in myself to perform anywhere.” He owes it to himself to at least try, knowing that nobody would have encouraged him more than the one very special person with whom he once shared a dream.

Or Swag finally gave his notice in because there isn't one.

The season after Italia 90 he was pretty well unplayable.Spurs played a cup tie - possibly against Blackpool - and he was so much above the level of everyone else it was ridiculous. My dad always reckoned Duncan Edwards was the best player he ever saw play and even he said Gazza came close. Then Gazza's recklessness did his knee and he was never the same again.

Just an update, Coalition have received a response, and as predicted from Lindsay Talbot who has been appointed as point of contact for all supporter queries. To cut a long story short they are stating they will meet the fans forum in July to settle differences, despite 80% of the coalition panels groups not members of the Fans forum. They are avoiding at this stage engagement, backtracking on the CEO and their public statements. Of course this is as predicted, and it plays into the coalitions hands in terms of media traction. I've now emailed the club on behalf of the Action Group Members also now separately. Part of the group's constitution is to remain democratic and for transparency in meetings with the club. Including none edited minutes. I'm also going to contact the FSF and ESA. Along with the EFL in my capacity of AG. Though it's also likely the coalition may do so also. It's currently being discussed.

We are 5 months away from the big day yet our head of commercial is still talking about ideas, committees and projects. That time has passed. They're quite cute with this involving fans stuff. They can pretend that they are doing it to be inclusive and give the supporters a voice but really it is just a way of cutting corners, passing the work on to fans and absolving themselves of criticism if it's a damp squib. Anything that requires significant planning or expense - new club crest, prestigious friendlies, major events - already too late

Not seeing an invite? Any chance you could send me a PM?

Someone left the safe unlocked and Swag stole the transfer budget on the way out.

We have emailed the club requesting an update on 150, so will wait for their response on this matter, especially as some supporters have put a lot of time and effort in over the last year trying to mark the 150 and their efforts and dedication needs to be applauded. Once a response is obtained then as always everyone in the coalition will have an opportunity to formulate what comes next democratically. I note all these ideas down as its these suggestions which do prompt options for all to discuss and they are very much appreciated. @K-Hodcould you check your whatsapp invites please, as ideally it be better if you keep people updated, It allows me to post things not coalition related 😀

Gazza could run with the ball, Hoddle couldn’t. Players that can run with the ball are a defenders nightmare. Gazza could play for 90 minutes, Hoddle couldn’t.

Probably for the best. According to Glasner, Wharton can't remember the FA Cup final.

It is a shame, but he deserves a proper break.

Wharton has withdrawn from the under 21s. Shame

We can't re-invest because of the latest mess the ownership has created or concocted. If they were willing and able to fund as they were then over the last few years there would have been no excuse not to use any sale proceeds or at least a nice big chunk of them towards investing in building a promotion seeking team. It is the only way to do it without parachute money and of course the better the team the more the players are worth anyway so it ticks that box as well. Conveniently though there is the excuse that somehow manifested itself a few years so they've even managed to balls up the best opportunity we've had since we actually had parachute money.

Yeah. As we all remember, Dennis can win a header, but…..

I say invest in the women's team and put us in League 1 with new owners

Agreed, again their choice to use the money to prop up their disgraceful regime, they could have used it to improve the club/squad if they wanted to, but have made a conscious choice to try and avoid that. Nothing to do with: a) Low crowds, small town b) Covid c) FFP rules d) Admin errors e) The weather f) Rogue secretaries It has always been a choice for the owners and they have always been the issue

Marcus Harris has extended his contract until 2027. Would have probably hit 1,000 runs if he didn’t have the captaincy dragging him down.

Sadly most of that £40 million is now gone with no owner input for the last two years together with Suhail comment of moving away from a benefactor model I see little prospect of meaningful investment in the first eleven.

Agreed, point taken.

We don't need to , we choose to. We could, if we wanted, use some of the £40 million+ to recruit ready made Championship quality players like other clubs do after selling assets. The owners and their stooges have different plans. Their choice.

Absolutely. Perhaps the the coalition can go to the press with it and make it abundantly clear that we are doing this on our own, with no club involvement, purely down to the clubs pathetic attempt at it so far.

you need a good spine in a team. To lose Baath, tronstad\trav would be criminal imo. I get we need to deal in the cheap foreign unknown market, but you have to keep a core of experience of the level. Lets hope these rumours are just that, rumours. I find it hard to trust anything I read about this club, when someone says someone's close to leaving, signing or anything contract related in any way, I would ignore all of it until released by the club, and even then that might not even be true!

We can afford to replace them, we just choose not to.

Gascoigne was very good but he wasn't a patch on Hoddle imo. I've never seen an English player like him.