A moving documentary about the life and legacy of the late Gary Speed will be broadcast by S4C on Thursday, December 27 at 8.25pm.
Presented by his former Wales team-mate John Hartson, the programme is the first detailed portrait to be broadcast on television with the full co-operation of Gary’s family.
The documentary will examine the personal qualities that made Gary so highly regarded and universally admired by those from inside and outside the game.
It will also discover how he earned the respect of the whole football fraternity, cutting across club loyalties and national boundaries.
Speed died in tragic circumstances in November 2011, aged 42.
The film has been produced by Rondo Media, the company responsible for popular S4C flagship football series Sgorio, for which John Hartson is a regular commentator and analyst.
They have spent the last few months producing this special tribute documentary and gathering contributions from a wide spectrum of figures from within the game.
Amongst some of the familiar faces speaking on the programme are former Wales player and manager Mark Hughes, as well as Raymond Verheijen and Osian Roberts, who were both members of the Gary’s management team with Wales.
Gordon Strachan, one of the legendary midfielders who played with Gary at Leeds in the early 1990s, Howard Wilkinson, manager of the successful Leeds team, and Sam Allardyce, Gary’s manager at Bolton Wanderers, also tell of their experiences of working with the Welsh football legend.
Award winning documentary producer, Caryl Ebenezer, and Dafydd Thomas, producer of S4C’s Sgorio, said that compiling the documentary was an emotional experience for all involved.
“Interviewing Gary Speed’s friends, family and colleagues was an emotional experience and the warmth of feeling towards Gary was evident throughout,” they said.
“Filming has been very hard at times, especially when legends from the footballing world are sharing their deepest feelings with you.
“Nearly everyone we spoke to got choked up when they spoke about Gary, their memories of him and how much they all miss him.”
“We also felt very privileged by the warm welcome we were given by Roger and Carol Speed at their home in Flintshire.
“Roger was very open about his feelings and he said that he was extremely grateful to us for making him feel comfortable enough to speak about Gary’s life.”
“Throughout his own life, Gary did everything he could to help others, but when Gary himself needed help, there was nobody there for him.
“On the other hand, everyone said there were no signs – his smile was as broad as ever – and there didn’t seem to be any reason to ask Gary if everything was okay.”
Llion Iwan, S4C’s Programme Commissioner, said: “The docu-film will shed new light on Gary Speed’s life and glittering career.
“It is groundbreaking in the sense that the iconic footballer’s friends and family will contribute.
“This will also be the first time for John Hartson, who played alongside the former Wales manager, to front a documentary on television and we’ll look at Gary Speed’s contribution to football, Wales and the world through his unique perspective.”
Few figures in the footballing world have managed to command such universal respect from their fellow professionals and fans alike.
This programme promises to give an insight into Gary Speed’s life, his legacy and his place as a Welsh legend.
Gary Speed: Arwr Cymru (Welsh Hero) will be broadcast in Welsh, with English subtitles available by pressing the red button or by activating the subtitles function through your digital TV set.
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Thursday 27th December Gary Speed: Arwr Cymru 8.25pm-9.30pm – S4C Repeat: New Year’s Eve – 6.20pm .S4C is available to viewers outside Wales on Sky 134, Virgin 167 & Freesat 120; and in Wales on Freeview 4, Sky 104, Virgin Media TV 167, Freesat 104.
You can also watch live or on demand via the S4C website.
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