Jewell: Chopra Has Been at Sporting Chance
Thursday, 27th Oct 2011 09:54

Town boss Paul Jewell has confirmed that striker Michael Chopra has suffered a relapse in his battle against his well-publicised gambling problem. The Blues striker, who was left on the bench for Saturday’s game against Crystal Palace, has spent the last three weeks in the Sporting Chance Clinic in Hampshire.

Jewell said: “Michael Chopra’s got a problem, it’s more than a problem, it’s an illness — gambling. There are people in this room, me included, who are no angels and luckily we’ve come through them.

“He has a big problem, an illness, and we knew that when we signed him. We didn’t quite realise the extent of it but credit to Michael for doing something about it.

“After the Brighton game he was admitted into the Sporting Chance clinic where he’s been for three weeks, only allowed out to play matches with no training.

“He played at Cardiff and scored, against Portsmouth where the team didn’t do so well and I thought Crystal Palace was a step too far to play him considering what he’d been going through.”

The Blues boss asked fans to back the 27-year-old in his fight: “I’d ask people to respect his honesty. He’s met it head on, he’s trying his best, he’s been as low as he can be.

“Now he’s feeling great about himself because he knows he’s got the support of the club, the team and I would ask our great supporters, and I’m sure they will, to help Michael through this tough, tough time, and the more support he gets, the quicker he will get better.”

Jewell knows it’s going to be a long process but says he can already see signs of progress: “We know it isn’t going to happen overnight, but already I can see in his eyes a huge relief. He’s opened up his heart, he’s opened up on all his problems. We know how we need to make him better.

“It’s a very sad case but at the same time heart-warming. It’s not easy when you’re in a male environment to stand up in front of people and admit you’ve got serious problems and that you’re ill and trying to do something about it.

“I know from other people’s experiences, you need people around you to help you. We’re there for him and we want the supporters to be there for him.

“But at the same time he’s has to come to the party and help himself. Hopefully, he’s on the road to recovery and to having a great career at Ipswich.”

The striker is now back at the club and was one of a number of players running round the Playford Road training ground with fitness coach Andy Liddell this morning. Jewell says the former Cardiff and Sunderland man will be in the side for Saturday's game at Millwall.

Photo: Action Images

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Suffolk_n_Good added 18:56 - Oct 27 "Whose that in William Hill?....... its Michael Chopra!!" It's Michael Chopra!!" Chops you're a great player, we'll all be right behind u, I was over the moon when we signed him & I'm still 100% he is a fabulous signing :)
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HarryfromBath added 19:30 - Oct 27 Good luck Michael. Take it steady with this - days out of the habit turn into weeks and months! You have the overwhemling support of ITFC supporters! All the best mate!
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Guthrum added 19:43 - Oct 27

Best wishes with the recovery Michael. A good friend of mine managed to beat exactly the same problem. You can do it.

Regarding ITFC going public with this, I think there was no choice. Something would most likely have come out and the usual suspects in the media would have been indulging in speculation and printing hurtful rubbish. Best to hit it head on and clarify the situation before that happens.

And, as someone's already said, if this is how Chopra plays when not 100%, he's going to be an absolute monster when he's fully fit again!

grumpyoldman added 20:11 - Oct 27 Can all the bl**dy morons stop making cheap unfunny references to gambling, sarcasm is the lowest form of wit especially when aimed at anyone with a problem I agree this has been well handled by the club. We have always supported players in times of crisis, Adam Tanner for example
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churchmans added 20:29 - Oct 27 dont understand why people would want to gamble especially the amounts chops and other gamblers part with! i do the football betting slips now and again and prediction bets at the ground before kickoff and thats it! must be the buzz of it. but hey good luck to him for man'ing up and dealing with it and lets hope he bang the goals in for us.
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comebackburley added 20:39 - Oct 27 We are all behind you Chops and Jewell. keep going and take each day as it comes. Neither of you probably have any idea how much you have lifted the club since you arrived after the dark years...true hero potential.
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blueherts added 20:50 - Oct 27 Do the bizzo on the pitch Chops .... We is all behind ya
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jas0999 added 20:51 - Oct 27 Although I wish Chopra all the very best, sadly this is why a) Cardiff let him go b) Cardiff let him go cheap and c) no other manager wanted him. This is nothing new - it was a well known fact BEFORE we signed him. I hope Chopra can sort his problems out - not for ITFC but for himself, but question marks growing over a number of PJ's signings.
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BecclesBlue500 added 21:07 - Oct 27

Is it just me that cringes when I hear people talking about a lack of self-discipline/control as an illness? Kids getting leukaemia is an example of an illness - nuggets who are compelled to self destruction aren't ill - they're nuggets. Doesn't mean I don't wish him well; I really do - just whince when I hear people who are paid 20 times more than me described as sufferers of an illness - they aint.

OrkneyBlue added 21:08 - Oct 27

Aye, takes a man to realize a problem and takes courage to do something about it.

It shouldn't be that way though but there is so much stigma still around mental health issues, especially for a bloke, and I imagine there is additional pressure for someone that earns a sports persons wage and has a footballers lifestyle. Fame and fortune mean jack sh1t, they still have the same feelings as us mortals.

Behind you 100% Chops.

OrkneyBlue added 21:10 - Oct 27 BecclesBlue500 -Really? It all stems from mental health issues, which is an illness.
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garethch added 21:37 - Oct 27 jas0999 - most of the question marks over Jewell's signings are just coming from you. If we lose the next 3 then maybe you are starting to get some good grounds for complaint. Until then, just hold fire a bit...we've only lost 1 in 7 or 2 in 9. Don't worry, be happy man!
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churchmans added 21:54 - Oct 27

ORKNEYBLUE you are wrong (partly) and beclesblue500 is right a child that has lukemia or any kind of cancer cannot physically stop or do anything about there condition! gamblers can so can drinkers and smokers! you telling me that they physically cannot stop there hand from reaching that pint glass and that fag i worked at a place full ao alchees in cambridge and they no different from me and you! i can control it cos i got willpower they get into that state because something terrible has happened in there lives like the loss of a family member etc and they are weaker mentally than some others some deal with it some cant

churchmans added 21:56 - Oct 27 having said all that it is a good thing that these people have help and somwhere to turn to.
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Garv added 21:56 - Oct 27

Jas0999 can you please show me the evidence that shows no other manager wanted him. You're telling me if Doncaster or Bristol City could have signed Chopra they wouldn't? Not long ago you were saying Chopra and Cresswell were our only good signings (seeing as you don't count loans and frees), now Chopra was a mistake because of a gambling habit as YOU say yourself we all knew about before we signed him?

StochesStotasBlewe added 22:04 - Oct 27 Good luck Chops. It takes courage to admit you have a problem, for that you should be applauded, as should PJ & the club for the support given to you & the way this appears to have been handled. The majority of fair minded ITFC supporters are right behind you 100%.
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dubblue added 22:04 - Oct 27 Best of luck Michael. First step to recovery is to fess up you have a problem. A suportive employer, family and friends also vital. So well done PJ!
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ClassyCranson added 22:28 - Oct 27

Addiction to gambling is an illness and I wish Chops all the best. He will quite rightly get additional support from the fans.

Whilst he took too long to recognise the centre back problems, I am a big fan of PJ and his man management skills seem first class.

I am glad we have Chops at the club and he come through this and will score plenty of goals for us in the process.

OrkneyBlue added 22:49 - Oct 27

Churchmans - I respectively disagree.

Aye,I agree with you regarding a child with Cancer they cannot do anything about it, I have first hand experience of this with my partners nephew who passed away (not that you should be aware of this, that is in no way a dig)

Mental health issues never go away either they just improve and you learn to live with them.

It's all to do with the chemicals in the brain, which if you don't have any mental health issues are obviously working as they should and making a rational decision comes easily.

However if not then they can cause all types of mental health issues whether it's anxiety and depression to an addiction such as gambling which is sometimes used to hide behind other issues. Rational decisions are not so easy. Again, I have first hand experience of this and admittedly I had the same opinion until one of my best mates told me he wanted to take his life.(again, you are not to know that, no dig)

Not a rant, just thought I'd put an alternative point of view across.

adamisablue added 22:59 - Oct 27 how about (to the tune oif the animals went in 2 by 2) he's running here he's running there chopra, chopra he scores em here he scores em there choipra! chopra! he wears the blue, and wears the white on saturday he's dynamite micheal chopra, the ipswich number 10 (would be better if he was number 9 but hey ho)
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OrkneyBlue added 23:12 - Oct 27 All those in favor of adamisablue's suggestion say "Aye"..............Aye!
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mattraisin added 00:27 - Oct 28

To people like BecclesBlue500 and Crook. Addiction to any substance or activity is a painful illness. Saying stuff like he has no will power and it is a choice is highly disrespectful and also disgusting. Gambling addiction, like depression (you often get one causing the other) is an illness that from the outside looks beatable, just try being on the inside then you might change your mind. Gambling addiction is a problem for people in all walks of life. Yes Chopra's high paid job makes the amounts larger but no less destructive, many people who earn nothing at all have gambling problems which lead to spiralling debt. Addictions all stem from deeper problems such as depression and anxiety. It is not a choice once your addicted. The only choice he has is whether to seek help and admit the problem or to hide the problem and convince yourself you don't have one. In the case of gambling addiction you convince yourself your luck will change.

Chopra has done a brave thing by admitting the problem to his club, his family and his fans. Whilst some point out it was already known about, he himself often denied it. I read one interview where he said something along the lines of 'I like to gamble when I am not being played or am out injured, I don't have a problem'. What he has done now, which I think shows how good our club and Paul Jewell are, is seek help and admit the problem. He has spent periods in rehab before and he declared he hadn't had a bet for a few months just before the Cardiff so I think he must have felt he was going to relapse not actually done so.

We are (true Ipswich fans that is) all behind you Chops and I hope you get a huge cheer next time you play Portman Road. I want to see the whole ground get up and cheer him when they call his name.

mattraisin added 01:09 - Oct 28

The above comment is also aimed at Churchmans. Mental illnesses are real and defeating them is more accurately named coping with them. Why do you think an Alcoholic can never drink again if he quits. Depression is usually the root cause of these kind of addictions although there is a little bit of chicken or the egg there. Depression is not beatable, like cancer you can think you have overcome it then it comes back. Relapse for someone vulnerable to depression is just as real as it is for someone recovered from cancer. People learn ways to cope with and avoid depression, it is like navigating a minefield. The suggestion that the difference between you and someone with depression or an addiction is simply you are of stronger willpower or less sensitive is an awful attitude. It is thought to be genetic and is a real observable difference in the physical construction of someone's brain and genes. I have encountered the sickening attitude that those with depression are just sensitive and should 'pull themselves together' and I can tell you that hearing that just makes the condition worse, people with depression need to constantly be made to believe it is not their fault to even cope, crude statements by people like Churchmans just reinforce this view of themselves which is entirely wrong.