Fans and players come together as Brentford reminds supporters that Talking is the Best Tactic | OneFootball

To mark World Suicide Prevention Day, and as part of Brentford’s Talking is the Best Tactic campaign, Bees defender Kristoffer Ajer, former player and club ambassador Karleigh Osborne, and a group of supporters have come together to highlight the importance of open conversation about mental health.

Last Saturday’s Premier League fixture against Sunderland was dedicated to Talking is the Best Tactic, a campaign that encourages fans to take simple actions that could make a meaningful impact on their own mental health, or someone else’s.

Ahead of kick-off, Osborne and several supporters took to a bench temporarily transported from the Robert Rowan Performance Centre, where it serves as a space for players, coaches and staff to come together and talk. Sharing their own reflections, they discussed the importance of conversation and the role football can play in bringing people together to openly discuss mental health. 

In the video, available to view below, they are joined by Ajer, speaking from the club’s newest Talking is the Best Tactic bench in Gunnersbury Park. The bench is the sixth to be installed in the local area, providing a place for people to pause, connect and start a conversation, recognising that a simple chat can make a difference to how someone may be feeling. 

The video forms part of an ongoing series that has seen Brentford players use the benches to share their own experiences and perspectives on mental health, including midfielder Fábio Carvalho and former Bees player Jordan Henderson.

The installation of benches across the local community reflects Brentford’s longstanding commitment to supporting mental wellbeing and builds on the work of consultant psychologist Michael Caulfield, who first introduced a bench at the training ground as a focal point for these open, honest and impactful conversations. 

Talking is the Best Tactic

Talking is the Best Tactic, which forms part of the Premier League’s wider Together Against Suicide initiative, seeks to reduce the stigma around mental health, prevent suicide, and create more opportunities for meaningful conversations.  

Resources for urgent and local help can be found on the dedicated Talking is The Best Tactic webpage. 

Anyone in need of urgent mental support should always call 999 in an emergency or contact NHS urgent mental health support via 111 and select option 2. You can also call Samaritans on 116 123 - free, available 24/7. 

Help is available

If you are struggling with your mental health, the above support is available. No one should have to face life’s challenges alone, and talking to someone can be the first step towards getting help.  

Brentford FC Community Sports Trust continues to provide free opportunities for people to connect and talk through initiatives including: 

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Everyone has a part to play

Suicide affects people of all ages and backgrounds and affects men disproportionately. Sadly, men account for nearly three-quarters of suicides in the UK, yet too often feel unable to talk about what they're experiencing.

Talking is the Best Tactic  encourages all of us to play our part by checking in with those around us, asking simple questions and taking the time to listen.

Throughout the 2026/27 season, Brentford will continue to encourage supporters, staff and the wider west London community to help create a culture where people feel able to talk.