Fabrice Muamba in hospital after collapse at Tottenham v Bolton game

[Goofy]

http://i.imgur.com/6vXqq.jpg


Muamba, the Bolton Wanderers midfielder, fell to the ground suddenly - 41 minutes into the game against Tottenham Hotspur, at White Hart Lane, which was on live television.

No other players were near him at the time.

The match was abandoned as both teams’ doctors spent ten minutes treating him on the pitch in front of around 35,000 fans.

Muamba, 23, was taken to a north London hospital, where a spokesman said he is now in a stable condition.

Reporters at the game said he was not breathing as he was stretchered off the pitch and into an ambulance.

As he fell to the ground, Bolton manager Owen Coyle ran on to the pitch to see what had happened. Coyle and club captain Kevin Davies went with him to hospital.

Other players gathered round and Rafael van der Vaart, the Dutch Spurs player, and others prayed while doctors treated him.

Fans chanted Muamba’s name, while many were in tears.

Several minutes after play stopped because of Muamba’s collapse, Howard Webb, the referee, ordered the players off the pitch and fans were told the game had been abandoned.

Ian Dennis, of BBC 5Live, said spectators could see that a defibrillator was being used on the footballer.

He said: “You had a situation which was very eerie. Obviously everybody could see that Fabrice Muamba was fighting for his life out on the pitch. Supporters of both sides were chanting his name.”

The scene recalled memories of Cameroon’s Marc Vivien-Foe, 28, who collapsed and died during a Confederations Cup match against Colombia, in Lyon, in 2003.

Phil O’Donnell, 35, the Motherwell midfielder, died after collapsing during a Scottish Premier League match against Dundee United in December 2007.

Muamba was born in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

His father, Marcel, fled to the UK in 1994 - having been an adviser to President Mobutu Sese Seko - and was given indefinite leave to remain in 1999, when the rest of his family joined him in Walthamstow, east London.

The player, who has represented England at every level, from under 16 to 21, was 11 when he came to the UK and could not speak English.

He went on however to earn 10 GCSEs as well as A-levels in French, maths and English. Off the pitch he enjoys listening to opera music.

On his Twitter account he describes himself as a “proud dad” to Joshua Jeremiah, his child with Shauna Magunda, to whom he became engaged on Valentine’s Day .

He joined Arsenal in 2002, having supported the team as a child in Congo, and became a professional in 2005.

The following year he joined Birmingham, first on loan, and then on a permanent basis following a £4 million deal. In 2008, he joined Bolton for £5 million, and now lives in Cheshire.

Fans said silence descended over the ground as it became clear how serious the situation was.

Paul Bowman, 53, a Tottenham fan from London Colney, Hertfordshire, said: "The player went down with no-one near him. He just collapsed."

Mr Bowman, who was at the match with his three children, added: "The other players saw immediately that this looked bad. We could see they were trying to resuscitate him. Everyone was in shock. We all watched and waited.

"All the support staff and substitutes were on the pitch. Fans from both teams were chanting Muamba's name."

"The players were in shock. No-one wanted it to go on.

"It was eerie coming out of the ground. No-one was saying anything. There was hush, a silence. No-one could quite believe it. It was terrible."

Hang in there Fab!

[Leefro]

He's Stable

[redred]

without playing a race card and i may be well wrong but i've only seen stuff like this happen to black players is there a reason?

[Leefro]

http://www.bwfc.co.uk/page/General/0,,1004~2663856,00.html

[Leefro]

without playing a race card and i may be well wrong but i've only seen stuff like this happen to black players is there a reason?


Because it patently not true

A fit and apparently healthy rugby league player who collapsed and died during a match had a rare undiagnosed heart defect, an inquest has heard.

Leon Walker, 20, from Morley, Leeds, could have died at any time according to the examining pathologist.

The Wakefield Wildcats forward was tackled towards the end of a game with the Celtic Crusaders just before he collapsed in Maesteg, near Bridgend.

The coroner, sitting at Aberdare, ruled that he died from natural causes.

A match doctor and other medics tried to resuscitate him and used a defibrillator to shock his heart, but it did not work.

He was airlifted to hospital in Swansea but could not be revived.

A post-mortem examination revealed abnormalities to the coronary arteries.

Consultant surgeon Richard Johnson, who tried to revive him, told the inquest the player suddenly collapsed on the pitch.

He was a fit and active young man and that makes it more difficult to come to terms with
Peter Maddox, coroner

Two opposing players were involved in the tackle - one person goes in high, one goes in low," he said.

"To start with his breathing was laboured and he had a pulse but then it dropped.

"We gave CPR, oxygen and used a defibrillator to try to shock his heart into beating. But it did not work."

Pathologist Richard Jones said Mr Walker had an abnormality which would have been present from birth, symptomless, and not detected in routine medicals.

"He had a flap of tissue which blocked the opening of his heart during rigorous exercise.

"The right coronary artery followed a strange and precarious course through big blood vessels.

"When it expanded and contracted during exercise the artery would become squashed reducing the amount of oxygenated blood to the heart.

"In Leon's case this would have caused an abnormal rhythm and this led to his heart attack."

He added: "Death could have occurred at any time but the risk was increased during exertion or exercise."

'No rhyme nor reason'

As part of their investigation, police watched a DVD of the match between the reserve teams, which showed the tackle in the 63rd minute of the match, but decided there were no suspicious circumstances.

The player had signed for Wakefield in November 2008 and had spent three years previously at Salford City Reds. He had represented Yorkshire and England in 2007.

Coroner Peter Maddox said: "This is an absolute tragedy for Leon's family and friends in the sport that he left behind.

"But they may take comfort because he died playing the game he loved - rugby league.

"He was a fit and active young man and that makes it more difficult to come to terms with.

"There was no rhyme nor reason as to why it happened on that particular day."

In a statement, Mr Walker's family said they wanted to thank South Wales Police, Celtic Crusaders and Maesteg Rugby Club for their support following the loss of their son.

[redred]

fair play like i said i may be wrong just cases like

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42klb5HjvBk

seem to stick in my mind

[Goofy]

The one that sticks in my mind is the very white Uncle Phil O'Donnell (rest in peace), ex motherwell and celtic player who died on the pitch a few years ago up here. Strangely i was actually at a Rangers game that day and heard about it after the game in the pub.

[Goofy]

Also, Antonio Puerta - the Seville kid that died a couple of years ago, had just broke into the national side, only about 21-22 years old (and white)

[redred]

ok so it ain't just black folk:hitler:

[Leefro]

maybe they should wear 88 on their back

[Shady]

Fuckin A man, I was watching the game on my lunch break and left at the 36 minute mark.

[Leefro]

http://www.c-r-y.org.uk/

[deebakes]

what does it mean and why did the game have to be "abandoned"? does that essentially mean they start over at the beginning or what? :-k

[Goofy]

what does it mean and why did the game have to be "abandoned"? does that essentially mean they start over at the beginning or what? :-k

Well, it pretty much had to be abandoned because neither his team mates or opposition were in any mood to continue having watched a friend having defibrillator and CPR treatment....... i think they cared more about him than a game of football ;) I'd assume the game will be replayed from the start and since the game was 1-1 at the time they'll just start at 0-0 again.

[Goofy]

Changes to medical rules may have saved Fabrice Muamba's life

http://img546.imageshack.us/img546/8915/fabricemuamba007.jpg (http://img546.imageshack.us/i/fabricemuamba007.jpg/)

The rapid on-pitch medical response which may have saved Fabrice Muamba's life was the result of changes to FA and Premier League medical requirements made in 2007, following the injuries to Chelsea's Petr Cech and Carlo Cudicini.

After the two incidents in the match against Reading in October 2006 the then Chelsea manager José Mourinho had reacted angrily to the way his goalkeepers were treated – specifically to the delays in hospitalising Cech, who had a fractured skull.

"There are some things that leave me in a very emotional situation," Mourinho said. "My goalkeeper was in the dressing room for 30 minutes waiting for an ambulance. This is something English football has to think about. This is much more important than football."

An official Chelsea complaint led to an FA and Premier League review, which introduced new measures from 2007, including the requirement for every game to have an ambulance on standby for players and officials.

Other regulations made it compulsory for clubs to provide two paramedic stretcher-bearers, with a club doctor and physiotherapists on the team benches, as well as a qualified "crowd doctor" on standby.

After Saturday's incident, the Premier League's chief executive Richard Scudamore said: "We would like to praise the players, match officials, staff and medical teams of both clubs for their swift actions in attending Fabrice."

[Leefro]

what does it mean and why did the game have to be "abandoned"? does that essentially mean they start over at the beginning or what? :-k

He nearly died

as a player or a fan watching live or on the tele Nobody in their right mind would want the game to carry on

[Goofy]

Update on 'critically ill' Muamba expected this morning

The 23-year-old was rushed to hospital last night after he collapsed near the end of the first-half of his side's FA Cup quarter-final at Tottenham.

Manager Owen Coyle, chairman Phil Gartside and skipper Kevin Davies were amongst those who accompanied Muamba to hospital, where the player is critically ill and in intensive care.

Coyle offered the latest update on the player's progress yesterday evening.

"Fabrice is critically ill. The next 24 hours are going to be absolutely crucial."

He continued: "We've obviously been inundated with people wishing him well and we hope that if everybody can pray strongly tonight that Fabrice is able to recover.

"It's very serious. There's no getting away from that. He's critically ill and God willing he makes it through."

The club last night released a statement which read: "Bolton Wanderers can confirm that Fabrice Muamba has been admitted to the heart attack centre at London Chest hospital where he is currently in a critically ill condition in intensive care.

"No further information will be issued at this stage. The club has requested the media to respect his family's privacy at this "

However, Press Association Sport understands that a further statement will be released this morning, with the wider football world anxious to hear some good news.

The England Under-21 star, who is a father of one, underwent six minutes of treatment amid worrying scenes at White Hart Lane.

He was wearing an oxygen mask and was then rushed to the London Chest Hospital in Bethnal Green in east London.

Within a second of seeing Muamba fall to the ground, Bolton manager Owen Coyle shouted "he's just collapsed" before running on to the pitch to be alongside his player amid a sombre atmosphere at Tottenham's ground.

Both sets of fans chanted the player's name as he was being treated and Tottenham forward Rafael van der Vaart and Muamba's team-mate Tuncay Sanli both prayed for the former Arsenal player on the pitch. Some fans cried at the sight of seeing a player out cold on the pitch.

Muamba was carried off on a stretcher and referee Howard Webb abandoned the match moments later.

It is understood captain Kevin Davies accompanied Muamba to the hospital along with Coyle.

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore sent his organisation's best wishes to Muamba and his family, as well as paying tribute to the medical staff at the ground.

He said: "The thoughts of the Premier League, its clubs and players are with Fabrice Muamba, his family and Bolton Wanderers.

"We would like to praise the players, match officials, coaching staff and medical teams of both clubs at White Hart Lane for their swift actions in attending Fabrice.

"The League would also like to commend the compassion shown by the fans of Bolton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur.

"We hope to hear positive news about Fabrice, who is and has been a wonderful ambassador for the English game and the League at Arsenal, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers."

Worried fans and players took to Twitter to give their reaction to Muamba's collapse.

Middlesbrough defender Justin Hoyte, who came through the Arsenal youth team with Muamba, posted: "I seriously hope my best friend in football is OK. Stay strong bro please please stay strong. God is with you remember that."

Muamba's Bolton team-mate Stuart Holden wrote: "Praying for you Fab. Hope he's OK. Thoughts with him and his family."

Spurs striker Jermain Defoe said: "Pray for fab god willing he will pull through £PrayForMuamba."

Muamba started his career at Arsenal and spent two years at Birmingham before joining Bolton in 2008.

He was born in Zaire, now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo, but has represented England from under-16 to under-21 level.

Football Association chairman David Bernstein said: "On behalf of The FA, I would like to send our thoughts and prayers to Fabrice Muamba and his family this evening.

"Fabrice has played 33 times for England Under-21s, captaining Stuart Pearce's side during this time and is a player, and more importantly, a person we care greatly for."

Muamba broke into the Premier League with Birmingham, with the club this morning offering their support for the midfielder.

"The thoughts of everyone at the club are with Fabrice and his family," a club spokesman said.

"He was a very popular member of the club during his time here and everyone at St Andrew's is shocked and saddened to see what happened yesterday."

Former Birmingham chairman David Gold said on Twitter: "Fabrice Muamba is one of the nicest and most respectful young men I ever met in football. I'm thinking of you Fab, get well soon."

Although it is a secondary consideration at this particular time, Bolton are due to play a Premier League game at Aston Villa on Tuesday.

However, under the circumstances, it seems impossible that the match will go ahead.

[Goofy]

Fabrice Muamba remains in a 'critical' condition as the Bolton midfielder fights for his life after collapsing at White Hart Lane on Saturday having suffered a suspected heart attack.

Manager Owen Coyle admitted the 23-year-old midfielder faces a 'crucial 24 hours' as medics attend to him in the intensive care unit at the specialist London Chest Hospital.

A joint statement from the Barclays Premier League club and the London Chest Hospital revealed his worrying condition is still considered to be critical.

It read: 'Fabrice Muamba remains in a critical condition in intensive care in the Heart Attack Centre at The London Chest Hospital.

'He was admitted to the hospital yesterday evening after collapsing at White Hart Lane, where he sustained a cardiac arrest during the FA Cup Quarter Final against Tottenham Hotspur.

'Fabrice received prolonged resuscitation at the ground and on route to The London Chest Hospital, where his heart eventually started working.

'As is normal medical practice, Fabrice remains anaesthetised in intensive care and will be for at least 24 hours. His condition continues to be closely monitored by the cardiac specialists at the hospital.'

Bolton manager Owen Coyle said: 'Fabrice's family have asked me to pass on their thanks for the many, many kind messages of support from not only Bolton fans but also fans from clubs across the country and abroad.

'All our thoughts and prayers are for Fabrice and his family at this time. The family would also like to thank the media for respecting their privacy at this time.'

The statement ending saying: 'No further updates are planned at this time.'

http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/2688/article2116668123966d60.jpg (http://img825.imageshack.us/i/article2116668123966d60.jpg/)