The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

The football family has lost a member.

Tom Rankin, who came off the bench yesterday has sadly passed.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/m ... s-23514808

Devasting and thoughts are with his family and friends

There doesn't seem to be any confirmation but reading between the lines, the #itsokaytonotbeokay hashtag was used by the Redditch chairman makes me think it was possibly suicide. https://euroweeklynews.com/2022/03/29/f ... nkin-dies/

All deaths are sad but it's frustrating that there isn't more support out there for people who are suffering in silence and think suicide is the only way out, it seems to be common with people who are well followed on social media too and you have to wonder if social media makes it harder for them to speak out because they feel everyone just expects them to be happy.

We often see someone popular post something critical on social media only for tons of people to post "you should be happy you are earning this" or some other which comment which is irrelevant to the subject of the post but implying that person should be happy because they are popular.

Every so often someone famous will pop up and be a mental health promoter but then a month or two down the line it seems to be forgotten, until the next tragedy.

RIP Thomas.

It's very difficult to help someone who remains silent, you can only hope someone close spots something that indicates a problem. Social media can be very anti social, aggressive to the point of breaking a person's spirit.