I feel comfortable writing about football. Tragedy feels well out of my comfort zone.

However, that knowledge is overwhelmed by the desire to express something about what happened today. To fail to do so would just feel wrong.

Today’s overwhelming, numbing news naturally leaves everyone not knowing what to say. Conflicting emotions rush into your head, mixing with an overbearing sadness. So one can only speak from the heart about Gary Speed, the man.

Plainly Speed was truly loved. Although such a terrible event will inevitably will followed by a welter of tributes, today’s outpouring of grief had the stamp of authenticity. Speed was known by all to be one of the game’s genuine men. No hystrionics or nonsense from him. Speed was a decent man, an honourable man, deeply respected by all, and that has shone through in the words spoken about him today.

I must admit that for a while I heard talk switch to his considerable talents as a player and coach and felt these matters were trivial compared to this tragedy. I was wrong, of course. We all cope with shock and loss in different ways, and recalling his magnificent service to club and country as a player, and his terrific impact on the national side as a coach, was wholly appropriate.

It is equally appropriate that we commemorate his life and show what he meant to us. On Red Passion a wonderful idea has already emerged, to buy t-shirts in tribute to him at Wednesday’s Darlington game, with the profit going to a cause close to Speed. Pre-order details are here. The fact that people are so quick to act, so desperate to respect his memory, is the most fitting tribute of all.

Some have expressed incredulity over how this could happen to such a man. Such bewilderment is totally understandable, but who can ever hope to understand what another feels or goes through? When more time has passed there will come a time to reflect on what today’s tragedy truly means to us, and what we can learn. But this is not the time. Today there is only one important thought to hold in our hearts.

Gary Speed, Rest In Peace.