Tackling dyslexia
A career in football cannot last forever – a fact footballer John Fortune has increasingly become aware of. Like most youngsters he dreamt of becoming a professional footballer but, unlike many, his dream became a reality.
Having left school poor exam results, he signed for Charlton FC. After coming through the club’s youth ranks, he made his full debut during the 2001/02 season and became a regular figure in the Charlton first team.
Throughout his school years, when his focus was on football rather than school work John struggled with dyslexia. John says: “At school I remember having to attend extra lessons in English. While my class mates did Design & Technology, myself and three other boys would go to a separate classroom to study more English, though I was never really told why. As a result, this made me feel isolated from my other class mates”
To get the relevant schoolwork done, John was always able to position himself around someone in the class. Moreover, he was careful to avoid putting himself in a situation where he would have to read anything in public.
John recalls a particular incident where each class member was asked to stand at the front of the class and read out their experience from a school trip. John adds: “I was so anxious the night before that I made myself ill and wasn’t able to go to school”,
Having become a professional footballer, John’s focus was on football and not his education, and his dyslexia issues were no longer an immediate priority. However, in the back of his mind, he knew he would need to address the issue at some stage in the future.
The opportunity came following a visit by the PFA.They spoke to the Charlton players about the educational opportunities available to them and offered them Information, Advice and Guidance. As a result, John decided it was time to address the issue of dyslexia that he had put on hold since becoming a professional footballer
John explains:
”My relationship with the PFA put me at ease and made me feel comfortable about addressing the issue.” With the added help and support from unionlearn through the Union Learning Fund, John was provided with a detailed dyslexia assessment that highlighted the areas that he needed to work on. As a result, John is now undertaking one to one Dyslexia sessions on a regular basis.
“I always felt I needed to address my dyslexia before I left football, otherwise I would be in the same boat as when I started. I have been able to manage my dyslexia throughout my football career. In football you are kind of protected from having to put yourself into awkward situations.”
John adds: “I would always ask fans to spell their names when they asked my autograph. However, I became aware that when my football career ended, I would no longer have that security and this has played on my mind for the last number of years. With help from the PFA and unionlearn I have been able to get the relevant assessment done. I am glad I have done it and feel I can move on with my life.”
