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Ex-Pompey, Swindon, Mansfield, Chesterfield player avoids prison and quits football

Ex-Pompey, Swindon, Mansfield, Chesterfield player Dion Donohue avoids prison and quits football in order to care for his family.

The 28 year old, who was last at Welsh club Caernarfon Town, has given an honest interview with The News on what he has had to overcome to make him a better person today.

During his playing days, he was a midfielder and full back, starting out as a former Everton trainee, he began his senior career in the lower levels of Welsh football with Porthmadog, Holyhead Hotspur and Caernarfon Town before switching to Sutton Coldfield Town of the Northern Premier League Division One South in 2014.

A year later, he turned professional with Chesterfield in League One, and spent two years with Portsmouth before joining Mansfield Town in 2019, where his contract was terminated for disciplinary reasons within two months of signing.

On the 19th of August 2019, Donohue and Mansfield teammate Jacob Mellis were suspended by the club for “an alleged serious breach of club discipline”. Following a club disciplinary investigation his contract was terminated on the 2nd of September.

In October 2019, Donohue joined League Two side Swindon on month-by-month contract. He made his debut the same day in a 1–1 home draw with Plymouth Argyle, and after the game manager Richie Wellens said that the Robins had attempted to sign him in the summer. As his second month was not registered in time with the EFL, he was then prevented from playing again until the 2nd of January.

Swindon didn’t negotiate to sign Donohue when January came, with Wellens saying that this was due to the player’s injury, rather than his court proceedings.

In September 2020 Donohue rejoined Swindon on a one-year deal and in December 2020, Donohue left Swindon due to personal reasons.

On the 28th of January 2021, Donohue joined Barrow on a short-term deal until the end of the season, before heading off to Caernarfon Town.

HIS PERSONAL LIFE:

In January 2012, Donohue pleaded guilty at Caernarfon Magistrates Court to a charge of assaulting a woman at a nightclub in Bangor, Gwynedd, the previous 13 November. He was fined £500 and £85 court fees, and sentenced to 120 hours of community service and four weeks of curfew.

In January 2020, Donohue pleaded guilty at Nottingham Crown Court to charges of assault, affray and grievous bodily harm committed in Mansfield the previous August.

Donohue has a son and a daughter, both born in Portsmouth during his time at the Fratton Park outfit.

HIS LATEST INTERVIEW:

‘I didn’t care at all what was going to happen to me,’ Donohue told The News in the first interview about his family’s tragedy.

‘I was more afraid that Ania might pass away while I was inside. That I couldn’t even say goodbye to her. That was the toughest part of thinking about prison.

‘Ania had a brain tumour, it was located at the top of her spine. There was nothing they could do for her, they couldn’t even operate.

‘I know I’m no angel, I got into an altercation on a night out. It was a serious offence and, two weeks later, I was sacked by Mansfield. I wish it never escalated to what happened, I wish it never happened at all. I totally regret it.

‘I pleaded guilty and was prepared for prison. I had said goodbye to my family – I was convinced I was being put away.

‘Before the sentencing, I told my solicitor I wanted it straight, I needed to know whether I would be going down or not. He responded that I’d be doing well to come out of there and advised me to pack a bag just in case.

‘I put in a couple of T-shirts, shorts, boxers, socks. My partner’s gran actually asked if I’d remembered to put a phone charger in there, she didn’t quite grasp that I couldn’t take a phone with me where I was going.

‘I had accepted what would happen to me and, considering all my family were going through at that time, I didn’t want to put any more strain on them. I told them to stay at home.

‘That day in court, I asked a friend and also my uncle to attend, but nobody else. It’s not nice for anyone’s mum or sister to watch a family member get sent down. I told them I’d rather they kept away, I would deal with it on my own.

‘My family had bigger things going on than me, so I just had to take it on the chin. I didn’t really have any emotion about the prospect of prison, you go into autopilot. I dealt with it.

‘When my sister Sian was told by doctors about Ania’s condition, she asked me to come home from Swindon. I wouldn’t say my family depends on me, but they see me as the strong one.

‘It was my duty to be there for them at that time. Being with my sister was the only place I wanted to be, she needed me.

‘Yet, in my mind, I was going to prison.

In November 2020, Donohue continued his playing career with Swindon, however left them, in order to head back to Anglesey – and niece Ania.

He added: ‘To be honest, my niece was the only thing I was really bothered about. I had no interest in football whatsoever at that time.

‘I ripped up my Swindon contract and told them I didn’t want any money to leave. I just had to go and be with Ania.

‘I had just damaged my hamstring and, during my time out, asked if I could go home and spend Christmas with my niece and our family.

‘The manager (John Sheridan) turned around and told me he’d just had a bereavement in his family, but I didn’t see him asking for time off. I just thought: “Do you know what, I’m not playing for you any more”.

‘When I was at Swindon the previous season, my niece was diagnosed with terminal illness. Richie Wellens, who was manager at the time, told me to go home straight away and take as long as I wanted.

‘His message was: “You sort your family out and make sure everything’s all right. Then come back when you are ready”. He was unbelievable to me, I thank him for that.

‘To go from that to what his replacement said. Wow. I have never been the best at hiding the way I feel, so I told the chief executive it was for the best that I left.

‘When Swindon’s manager said that to me, I no longer had any interest in playing for that man.

‘After receiving treatment at Bolton on my hamstring and spending Christmas with my family, I returned to football at Barrow in late January 2021.

‘We trained every day on a 3G pitch, which absolutely ruined my Achilles. I wasn’t alone, some four or five of us needed injections to get us through. The playing surface was horrible, not even proper 3G, more like a hockey pitch.

‘When the manager, Michael Jolley, was sacked, Rob Kelly stepped up from assistant to take over on a caretaker basis and pretty much reverted to the old team, taking eight players off furlough and returning them to the squad.

‘For me, if I wasn’t playing I would prefer to spend my final couple of months at Barrow with my niece during her limited time left, rather than sitting on the bench.

‘Rob (Kelly) was great with me and we got to the stage where he told me to stay home and keep myself fit, just in case I was needed. There were a couple of games where I was required, but most of the time I was home.

‘I would be at Barrow three days a week – the rest of it was spent with my family.’

He turned his focus instead on being with his family in Anglesey, he has become a plasterer, and is playing part-time for Caernarfon Town in the Welsh Premier League.

Ania sadly died aged 5 in July surrounded by her family, including Donohue.

‘Family is more important than football, absolutely. And it always will be,’ said Donohue.

‘My sister is older than me and we are very close. Our father wasn’t around when we were kids, so we’ve grown up with such a close bond. I walked her down the aisle on her wedding day.

‘Unlike many people, I actually had a life before football, coming into the game late. Even when I was playing it didn’t mean everything to me, like it does some.

‘For me, there have always been bigger things than football – and family is the most important thing in life.

‘Quitting the game professionally was a no brainer. I don’t have any regrets over giving up football, none at all. I was just happy to be home and around my family considering what was happening.

‘I was able to spend Ania’s last Christmas with her, then her last birthday. She passed away at home – and I was there. I was one of the pall bearers at her funeral.

‘She was a fighter. Doctors initially gave her 3-6 months to live, but we got more time with her than expected. She was actually quite active up until her final month, then deteriorated quickly.

‘In the end, it was more painful watching her condition worsen like that than letting go of her.

‘Now she has passed, we have to move on with our lives, yet we still have good and bad days.

‘I went to see my sister yesterday and walked upstairs to the toilet. Ania’s bedroom door was open, her stuff has not been touched since she passed, and it just hit me. You get those little moments.

‘When it came out from Swindon’s end that I was leaving, but not the facts behind it, I saw the social media comments. I thought to myself: “These people don’t actually have a clue about real life”. It has been tough, so, so tough.

‘It has been a few months now since Ania passed, yet Christmas will be hard, the first one without her. We will deal with it, you have to.’

He adds: ‘Now Ania has passed, my interest in football is slowly returning. I’m thinking it’s time to get my life back.

‘Whether it’s the Football League, I’m not sure, there are also a couple of professional teams in Wales. It’s a challenge for me to try again and see how far I can go.

‘Caernarfon have been brilliant with me. They knew why I was home and that I’d never have been playing at this level this quickly but for what happened.

‘But sometimes, in the middle of a game, I think “What am I doing here?”.

‘I know a lot of people thought I was mad quitting professional football, but my family is the most important thing in my life. It was an easy decision.

‘I’m just grateful I was there to say goodbye to Ania. I was there for my family – and I am still here for my family.’

Twitter users gave their reaction as the ex-Pompey, Swindon, Mansfield, Chesterfield player avoids prison and quits football to care for his family…

@stevebone1: Brilliant interview… and people can make their own minds up about John Sheridan…

@18_98_PFC: Wand of a left foot, best wishes to him and his family. Gave my lad an extra tight squeeze before bed tonight after reading this that’s for sure

@AndyFord33107: Heartbreaking story and what a shocking approach from Sheridan. Really liked the bloke at Pompey and hope it all works out well for Dion and his family.

@FFSChristie: Has been through a lot in his life for such a young man. Made mistakes but seems like a genuine family man, very moving story. Also a cracking footballer and hope to see him in the pro ranks again one day

@merson_pfc: I’d have him back

@WELLS35: Wishing him all the best – I actually thought he played well at Pompey and was disappointed when he left. Just goes to show that nobody knows what people are dealing with in their lives.

@ChadPFC: His pass up to Andre Green at Norwich away in the cup, then Green fumbling the first & burying the 2nd 😍

@Ksshaw61: Used to speak to him at Roko as he took his son in the pool.. always spoke & was polite

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