'Listening to football on the radio saved my life'

Football is what kept Joe Brailsford going through an extremely difficult time in his life.

The Derby County fan said he became "very depressed", suffering from multiple serious health conditions including a wait for a lifesaving liver transplant.

Despite going through "very dark days" in hospital, he said BBC Radio Derby's coverage on his beloved team was the "only thing" he looked forward to while being ill.

Mr Brailsford has since met up with Rams commentator Ed Dawes, who has openly spoken about his own mental health issues, and Mr Brailsford told him: "Your commentary genuinely saved my life."

Mr Brailsford, who works taking emergency calls for East Midlands Ambulance Service, said his health problems started when he was 11.

He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis and later found to have colorectal cancer.

After recovering from the cancer, the father of one was then told he had a rare liver condition, called primary sclerosing cholangitis, which led to liver failure in 2016.

Despite "being close to death", Mr Brailsford, 34, from Kilburn in Derbyshire, said he was pleased he was still able to attend Derby County games.

When his health declined, he spent four weeks in the Royal Derby Hospital and four months at Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham.

During his time in Birmingham, Mr Brailsford said he was "happy" when he was told he only had two weeks to live if he did not receive a liver transplant.

"I was in that much pain, that much discomfort, I just wanted it to be done with," he said.

"I remember being a 26-year-old man being so depressed, waking up crying asking for my mum because I'd just given up."

Luckily for Mr Brailsford, he received a transplant from a woman who died following a brain injury.

Despite getting a transplant, Mr Brailsford said he still suffered from mental health issues during his recovery in hospital.

"When I had my transplant, they were very, very dark days but the only thing that could get me by was the BBC Radio Derby commentary on the games," he added.

Ed Dawes has been a commentator for BBC Radio Derby since 12 December 2009 and has now covered 624 games with the radio station.

Mr Dawes said he questioned whether to carry on with his role when he received abuse in person and online after the Rams went into administration in September 2021.

In April 2022, American businessman Chris Kirchner was appointed "preferred bidder" to buy Derby County after it had earlier been placed in administration by previous owner Mel Morris.

"The breaking point came after a Rams win at Blackpool, when a fan got right up in my face and aggressively shouted at me.

"He said I was connected to former chairman Mel Morris and that it[the club going into administration] was my fault. That's when I started asking myself if it was worth it," added Dawes.

In June 2022, Dawes broke the news that Kirchner's bid to take over the Rams was about collapse, after he was told that the American did not have the correct funds to purchase the club.

A week later, Kirchner scrapped his bid to buy the Rams after the funds needed failed to clear.

The failed bid turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the Rams when Kirchner was sentenced to 20 years in jail for fraud in July 2024.

"The abuse online and on the radio was relentless, even though I was right about the would-be American bidder Chris Kirchner, it just took a week to come out," said Dawes.

Four years later, Mr Dawes said the abuse he still received on social media "takes its toll".

After spotting that Dawes was still receiving abuse online, Mr Brailsford decided to email the Rams commentator, to share his story of how his commentary helped him in hospital.

"You never know when mental health will catch up with you, Joe's email really hit home and made me reflect on what I went through during the Rams administration in September 2021," said Dawes.

After the pair met up at BBC Radio Derby, Dawes said: "Men need to talk more. Life is hard, and we'd probably be surprised by how much we all have in common.

"Joe's a strong man who's been through a lot, and I'm grateful he opened up to me - it helped me too."

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