Former Premier League and international striker to work with EPIC

EPIC Risk Management are pleased to welcome former Premier League and international footballer Simon Haworth as a new addition to the team delivering its education sessions on gambling-related harm.

The ex-Wales, Coventry City, Cardiff City and Wigan Athletic forward has recently joined our long-standing partners WHYSUP as a programme facilitator, and as an extension of that arrangement, he will join WHYSUP founder Mark Murray in supporting EPIC’s session delivery across a range of high-risk sectors as an associate.

Having seen his professional football career curtailed due to injury during his time at his final club Tranmere Rovers, Simon turned to intensive betting on horse racing, which led to considerable financial and emotional consequences.

He will now seek to turn those negatives into a positive as he delivers his lived experience story to diverse audiences across the sports and education sector.

Speaking about the opportunity to support awareness of gambling-related harm, mental health issues and recovery through his work for both EPIC and WHYSUP, Haworth commented:

“It’s brilliant how EPIC raise awareness and educate. It means a lot to me to be able to share my lived experience within the sports industry.

“I’m looking forward to being part of the EFL programme we deliver, and the prospect of the MLS Players Association sessions too.

“I’m really interested in working in the horse racing arena as well; this is an especially rewarding area of work for me, as my gambling addiction was betting on the horses.

“It’s a nice progression from a recent personal project, where I co-founded a podcast called Football Untold where players are interviewed with a focus on their mental health.

“I absolutely love sharing my lived experience; I really enjoy doing it as it’s very powerful. It’s really therapeutic as part of my recovery too.”