EXCLUSIVE: Former Crawley Town manager John Yems talks about his struggles with mental health, following his FA suspension after facing allegations of racist language back in 2022.
Yems’ FA suspension now runs until 2026, having the initial 17 months extended after his appeal to The FA.
Following his dismissal from Crawley, the initial allegations surfaced and Yems told Solent Sports News that the media coverage had a profound impact on his mental health and the lives of his family.
He stated: “I was sat there with a bottle of pills and who knows what I would’ve done.
To have Sky Sports sat outside your house for two days, following your wife around, when all they were interested in was for me to make a comment about segregating changing rooms, it was difficult to deal with.
There I was Johnny Yems, who loves a laugh and being around people, then suddenly I found myself sat in a dark room with the lights out, not wanting to meet anyone.”
The 65-year-old, who was previously assistant manager at Exeter City and Crawley boss between 2019-2022, states how the ban has taken a toll on his wellbeing but does not pin the blame on The FA.
“They (The FA) were just fed a story, so I don’t blame them, but it still hurts today because I’m still on my ban.” Yems said.
Due to the mental health struggles Yems faced during this time, he reached out to ‘Sporting Chance’ charity, set up by Tony Adams, and labelled them as a “fantastic” support, alongside his friends and family.
Yems said: “It’s something that I’ve come through because I did have a breakdown in the middle of it. Take the accusations aside, because that’s all they were, it was nice for just somebody to pick the phone up and see how you were.”
The 65-year-old is currently the longest serving suspended manager in English football history and seven months of his FA ban remain.
Longest Banned Manager in English Football: John Yems Breaks His Silence
