Lee Collins: Yeovil Town captain's widow gives interview after his death

In her first interview since the tragedy, Rachel Gibbon has told Sky Sports News more needs to be done to support lower-league footballers as they come towards the end of their careers.

Footballer Lee Collins was found hanging in his hotel room, an inquest heard in April.

Mr Collins, 32, who was captain of Yeovil Town FC, was discovered at the Lanes Hotel in West Coker, near Yeovil, on March 31.

The inquest ruled a verdict of suicide in July. The court heard he had been struggling with alcoholism and mental health issues before his death.

In a statement, coroner’s officer Ben Batley said Mr Collins, from Newport, Gwent, was confirmed dead at the hotel on March 31.

“Lee was a professional footballer with Yeovil Town Football Club,” Mr Batley said.

“It was identified that when Lee did not attend for training on March 31 enquiries were made at the hotel where he was staying, and he was found in his room hanging.

Also admitted into evidence was an interim post-mortem report from Dr Adams, pathologist at Yeovil District Hospital, confirming cause of death as 1a hanging – subject to blood analysis.

The defender began his career at Wolves and also had spells with Hereford, Port Vale, Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Northampton, Mansfield and Forest Green.

He moved to Vanarama National League club Yeovil Town from Forest Green in 2019 and made 35 league appearances for the Somerset club, including eight this campaign.

His most recent outing came in a 1-0 defeat at Stockport on February 6.

Mansfield owner John Radford worked with Mr Collins between 2015 and 2017 and described him as a “battling braveheart” on the field and “gentleman” off it.

Tributes were left for the Yeovil Town captain outside the club’s Huish Park stadium after his death (Simon Galloway/PA)

He played 163 games for Port Vale between July 2008, when he arrived initially on loan from Wolves, and June 2012.

Former Valiants team-mate Tom Pope said: “Lee was a tough, fit, excellent footballer. The enforcer for us, really. The organiser.

“He was the heartbeat of our dressing room. I am absolutely devastated and my heart goes out to Lee’s family, friends and team-mates at this time,” he told Vale’s website.

In a lengthy statement read to the inquest, Mr Collins’ partner Rachel Gibbon described him as a “very complex character”.

“There was a Lee Collins that the world saw and a Lee that only those closest to him saw,” Ms Gibbon said.

“On the surface, Lee was confident, cool and collected. He had time for everyone and anyone and if he didn’t have very much time, he would make it.”

Ms Gibbon described her partner as a “class clown” who would make people laugh with his “infectious personality”.

“The Lee that no-one else saw was a completely different person,” she said.

“He was insecure, anxious and lost. Lee had an addictive personality. Whatever it is he was doing, he was doing it 110%.”

She told the inquest that Mr Collins had an “intermittent addiction” to gambling throughout their relationship, but his “main addiction” was drinking.

“Lee was an alcoholic. No-one really knew the extent of how bad his drinking was,” Ms Gibbon said.

“Lee drinking was never an issue and was recreational until he started to use it as a crutch for his mental health.”

In 2017, Mr Collins was left devastated by the deaths of his dog and his father, the inquest heard.

He previously drank alcohol at the weekends but this increased to every night, when he would consume six bottles of strong cider and two bottles of wine, Ms Gibbons said.

She told the hearing Mr Collins, who also began drinking spirits, would disappear for “days at a time on drinking benders”.

Mr Collins went to rehab in November 2018 and did not drink alcohol for six months, but began again during a holiday.

Before his death, Ms Gibbon would set her alarm early to remove empty bottles of alcohol from their house to prevent their children from seeing them.

“I also found drugs on Lee and in our home,” she added.

“Towards the end of Lee’s life, as a couple we were having major issues because of addictions.

“I explained to Lee that something had to change but nothing was.”

In late 2020, Ms Gibbon and their children moved to live with her mother and sister following the death of her grandfather.

Mr Collins saw this as her leaving him despite her assurances this was not the case, she said.

“This I truly believe was the final factor for Lee,” Ms Gibbon told the inquest.

“I spoke to Lee so many times about his mental health and his addictions. I begged him to get help.”

But she added: “His actions are the last thing I ever thought he would do.”

Ms Gibbon concluded her statement by describing Mr Collins as a “gentle giant” and “the kindest, most generous man”.

“He made me smile every single day and was genuinely the best dad that I could ever wish for my children,” she said.

“Lee was also a selfish person. I genuinely blame his addiction for this. Nothing would come before alcohol.

“If there was a choice between drinking and doing anything else, drinking would have won.

“I genuinely think that it was his illness that made him this way but most importantly, it didn’t make me or anyone love him less.”

The inquest heard Mr Collins’ body was found by Terry Skiverton, assistant manager at Yeovil Town, at about 4.50pm on March 31.

Emergency services attended the hotel, where a number of footballers for the club were staying, and Mr Collins was pronounced dead at 5.01pm.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Collins died from hanging. He had alcohol and cocaine in his blood at the time.

"It hit me like a sledgehammer," Rachel told Sky Sports News today.

"Until the police arrive on your doorstep, there's still that tiny bit of hope that maybe it's something else."

She spoke of the impact of the tragedy on the couple's three children who have been struggling with "separation anxiety," she said in the interview today.

"Whenever I leave them, they're wondering if mum will come back, because Dad went to work one day and never came home."

A memorial game for Collins is taking place in Stoke-on-Trent today - organised by former colleagues at Port Vale - to help raise funds for his family.

An open letter to the PFA signed by his friends and colleagues is calling for an "extensive review" of wellbeing services.

If you are struggling with mental health the following organisations can help:

Breaking The Silence SF
https://www.suicideforum.com/
https://www.suicideforum.com/community/
A website for suicidal people and those in mental health crisis
Online forums, chat, information and support

Calm:
0800 585858
www.thecalmzone.net
Campaign Against Living Miserably Help and support for young men aged 15-35 on issues which include depression and suicide.

HopeLine UK
0800 068 4141
www.papyrus-uk.org
For practical advice on suicide prevention