The Premier League has launched a “suicide together” initiative with broadcast television stations and Arsenal fan Roman Kemp Charity Samaritan.
Roman Kemp came up with this idea two years ago. Now, on the World Suicide Prevention Day, after a lot of effort and endless meetings and calls, Sky Presenters and broadcasters have seen it come to fruition.
Arsenal’s van Kemp is deeply affected by suicide as his best friend, radio producer Joe Lyons, took his own life in 2020.
This led him to become an activist who raised awareness and spoke to people. It was two years ago when Kemp first spoke to Vinai Venkatesham, who was first at Arsenal and has since become Tottenham’s CEO.
The most recent data shows that one person in the UK takes their own life every 90 minutes, and a quarter of all have suicidal thoughts.
All 20 clubs support the Premier League’s “Death Suicide Together” initiative, while 11 clubs offer a variety of formats of support to fans who provide ad boards, match programs and message on the big screen in this weekend’s games.
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But the majority of this plan is that, as Tottenham teams up with Haringey Mind, it’s not just one-off, it’s not just a one-off support — they are the only clubs to participate in local community projects, and Arsenal organizes a matchday drop-in centre.
Kemp is a very good ambassador as it means he is realistic and a real football fan who connects with those who go to the game, and his own personal experience, which means he is very personal and powerful.
Kemp said: “Soccer can make a difference, we talk about a group of people who may be experiencing their own crisis, but once a week, they go to football, focus on the pitch and look forward to it.
“If we can make that connection and if football fans are under the 50s demographic, it can make all the difference.”
Kemp also makes the campaign stronger and more approachable due to his friendship with Joe Lyons, who continues to inspire him. “He was a huge Spurs fan,” Kemp smiled. “I never held it against him! But I go to visit the grave, and I’m not someone who goes there and talks with gravestones or anything like that.
“But I always rolled him up and said, ‘They’ve never won anything in years!” Then suddenly they won the summer, I went there and I said, ‘You’ve finally done it.’ It’s soccer.
“That’s why I am extremely proud to work on initiatives that put compassion and connection at the heart of football.
Other clubs that are in the initiative are Aston Villa, Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea, Everton, Liverpool, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Southampton.
It is very often seen as a pilot scheme to see what works best when all clubs are doing different things. Venkatesham is a great football executive because he has been involved with his fans, caring about the club’s community and finds that the Premier League wants to help.
Venkatesham said: “As CEO Richard Masters, I got about 50 ideas a day, but the Premier League is extremely supportive, with all the clubs on board and at this stage there are only 11 teams, discovering what’s most effective in each scheme.
“But it was really important that this was not a one-off, it was long-term and I believe that football plays a very big role. We always ask a lot of our fans in terms of following the team’s homes and being able to change fixtures, schedule and help them when they need it,” he said.
“We want our fans to understand that one conversation can make all the difference and that they can rely on their club for support when they need it most.”
Tottenham is one of 11 clubs offering pilot projects during the 2025/26 season and will work with Haringsey’s Mind. Charity staff will be based at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium during every Premier League match during the season, starting with a match against the wolves on Saturday, September 27th, reaching the end of the text service and being able to confidently meet people in need of daytime support.
The service is available outside of Home Match Day, and fans will be directed at a dedicated hub in their minds for after-hours support on Haringey’s website. Hind in Haringey uses perceived psychological measures to record all interventions and assess the individual’s mental state. This includes follow-up or check-in to ensure that individuals receive relevant support and that the intervention reduced the risk of suicide.
For emotional support, you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123 and email jo@samaritans.org, visit the Samaritans branch directly, or visit the Samaritans website.
