Saturday afternoon in a Cherry Red Records Combined Counties League Premier Division South fixture between Tadley Calleva and Sheerwater, and a moment you pray will never happen.
Tadley were leading 3-0 against the visitors who had been reduced to 10-men when the game was abandoned on 65 minutes.
It’s a moment that transcends football, rivalries and competition. The quick thining and actions of the home side meant that, thankfully, a tragedy was averted.
A Sheerwater player (we are not naming him) collapsed shortly after coming off the field.
A community defibrillator is located at Barlows Park and the club were able to get access to it. We know there are people within Tadley Calleva Football Club who acted quickly and deserve a moment of thanks from the football community, but for now and in the interests of privacy we just want to say a massive THANK YOU to everyone at the club and with Sheerwater for acting quickly.
What we can say is that on Sunday, Neil Humphries from the Big Match Charity donated a new portable defib for dedicated use at the club and it was greatly received.
The incident, if nothing else, reminds us all of the importance of having plans in place and the importance of qualified medical staff within our football clubs – whether its Sunday League or National League.
Dan Walkley talks through the moment, and those we have to thank:
