The Devlin Cup is an annual event held in memory of Jamie Devlin, who died in 2022
Two men have described how football helped them cope following the suicide of their best friend Jamie Devlin.
Callum Craig and Sean Loughran lost their best friend Jamie Devlin in 2022 and found themselves in a difficult place as they struggled to come to terms with his loss. However there was one thing that was able to bring them together and help them through their grief, playing football.
The pair have even gone on to set up their own charity football tournament to raise funds for local suicide charities in Jamie’s memory, The Devlin Cup, and football club, GOAT FC, which stands for Get Out And Talk, with the name also being inspired by Jamie’s old Xbox gamertag, “The Goat Bandit”.
Callum Craig said: “The Devlin Cup exists because we lost Jamie. Sean and I were trying to deal with losing our best friend and football gave us a reason to get together again. It brought us back into the same space as other friends who loved Jamie and were going through the same thing.
“What we realised quite quickly was that the important part wasn’t really the football. It was getting people together, talking, laughing, remembering Jamie and being there for each other.
“Grief is something every one of us will experience in different ways, but people can find it incredibly difficult to talk about. We want Get Out And Talk to show that you don’t always need to have some huge, serious conversation. Sometimes it is checking in with a mate, meeting for a coffee, playing football or simply asking somebody how they are.
“I’ve had my own struggles with anxiety, depression and loss and counselling helped me understand how important it is to actually practise what we are preaching. Talking does help.
“To have now raised more than £10,000 through the Devlin Cup is something we’re incredibly proud of, but we want to raise as much as we possibly can for organisations doing vital work. If anyone enjoyed the event, has followed what we’re doing or simply believes in the message, we’d really appreciate them donating whatever they can.”
Callum’s own experience of counselling with PIPS became a catalyst for sharing more openly about mental health, anxiety, depression, loss and starting again as a single father. Since its first year in 2023, the Devlin cup has raised over £10,000 for charity with the most recent, which took place at Seaview Stadium on Saturday, August 15, raising more than £3,000 for PIPS and Lighthouse.
Alongside Sean, he also began speaking to people who had experienced bereavement and loss, initially focusing on friends who knew Jamie. Their online videos have reached thousands of people and reinforced the simple message behind the project: it is OK to talk, remember, be vulnerable and ask for support.
People can continue to support the campaign and donate at: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/get-out-and-talk
Supporters can also purchase Get Out And Talk FC merchandise from Bourke Sports at: https://bourkesports.com/collections/get-out-and-talk-fc
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