Nottingham Forest program plea after Southwell fan's suicide

The family of a devoted Southwell Nottingham Forest fan who took his own life have urged others to open up about their problems.

Jonathan McCartney, 35, who died in October, had shown no signs of depression, according to his family.

An article about Jonathan was in the matchday programme when the Reds played Bristol City yesterday.

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Graham McCartney said his son’s death “turned their lives upside down” and now wanted to prevent further suicides.

The 35-year-old had supported the club since 1992, wore his shirt wherever he travelled, and had a season ticket until 2010, when he moved to Bristol, the piece said.

A passage in the article, which highlights Jonathan’s Voice, a charity set up in his memory, said: “Jonathan would have been at the game today. He loved singing in the stands. He was Forest till he died, but he died too soon.

“Let’s make sure we do what we can to stop this tragic loss of life.”

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Graham McCartney who said his son’s death came “out of the blue” has urged other fans to read the article that he has worked on with the club.

“The message is speak out about mental health, talk about your feelings, accept who you are and look after your state of mind.

GP Dr David McCartney, Jonathan’s brother, said he often wondered whether he missed any signs that he could have helped.

“It’s an absolute huge shock that came from nowhere,” he said.

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“I see lots of mental health [issues] in my work, should I have been able to see something differently that the rest of the family didn’t see?

“You ask yourself [many] questions and then you learn to live with the sadness.”