Looking back at his 20-year career in the Irish League, Aaron Hogg remembers the first time he went to the bookies with his team-mates.
A teenager at the time, he didn't know the journey it would set him upon. It was a road of debt, broken relationships and severe depression.
The goalkeeper was not the first Irish League player to have a gambling addiction, and he won't be the last.
But now, eight years since he last placed a bet, he's at the heart of an initiative to try and help those who need it through the new player-led Gambling Support Group (GSG).
Its introduction coincides with increased sponsorship of the men's and women's Irish Premiership from betting companies from this season, while the two League Cups and a regional tournament are also sponsored by bookmakers.
#time #looking
A teenager at the time, he didn't know the journey it would set him upon. It was a road of debt, broken relationships and severe depression.
The goalkeeper was not the first Irish League player to have a gambling addiction, and he won't be the last.
But now, eight years since he last placed a bet, he's at the heart of an initiative to try and help those who need it through the new player-led Gambling Support Group (GSG).
Its introduction coincides with increased sponsorship of the men's and women's Irish Premiership from betting companies from this season, while the two League Cups and a regional tournament are also sponsored by bookmakers.
#time #looking
2 months ago
