Barney Ronay's Guardian column praises the Premier League for backing the Together Against Suicide campaign, running from 4 to 14 September, which promotes the simple message that men should talk about their pain. He argues football has unmatched reach to deliver this message to middle-aged men, who are statistically more likely to die by suicide than any other group and often suffer depression and anxiety silently, making them hard to help before a crisis occurs.

The piece contrasts this British football initiative with the prevalence of antidepressant advertising on American television, framing US mental health struggles as a commercial market worth around £6bn given that over 50 million Americans have depression. Harry Kane and Prince William have publicly supported the campaign, with the Premier League also sharing messages of solidarity online. Ronay draws on personal experience, including struggles during the Covid pandemic, to argue that male pain is too often dismissed or carried silently, and that football's blunt, wide-reaching messaging could genuinely help even if it only reaches one person.