Last updated 11:40, Thursday, 08 May 2008

Warren Aspinall was regarded as a hero by Carlisle United fans but his most heroic act has taken place long after he hung up his boots for the final time.

Aspinall’s revelation that he gambled away £1million and is penniless after a long and successful football career may yet help to stop a few people in their tracks and make them question their own gambling habits.

Now more than ever gambling is a problem that can affect anyone. Many traditional safeguards have been removed. Thanks to the internet it is frighteningly easy to open gambling accounts and lose huge sums of money without even leaving the home.

The Government’s message has been mixed, to say the least. They claim to recognise the evils of gambling while proposing a series of “super casinos”, a move which thankfully appears to be on the backburner.

Big losses do not afflict only big earners in glamorous jobs. Thousands of ordinary people and their families are struggling with the financial and emotional cost of gambling.

Warren Aspinall, like another Carlisle United favourite Jimmy Glass before him, has taken the first steps towards facing his demons. In admitting to their problems these men have shown that fame and success are no safeguard against bad judgement, and that even the most daunting situation can be overcome with honesty and support.