Why doesnt onbeforeunload()/onunload() execute this?

Hay all,

So i have been having some trouble with the following script:

function userExit(){
	var nameid = 'TrollFight';
   	var textid = '<?php echo $name; ?> left! Click next fight to continue!';
   	var answer = confirm("Leave The Fight?")
	if (answer){
		chat.send(textid, nameid);
	}
	else{
		alert("Thanks for sticking around!")
	}
}

HTML:

Basically it is set to run onunload or onbeforeunload, i know chat.send works outside these functions, and it allows the confirm popup to appear, but it doesn't seem to run the chat.send function

any ideas?

Cheers

Alex