#PrayforMuamba

Yesterday evening I was weighing up the decision on whether to talk about Tendulkar’s hundredth century or Wales Grand Slam victory. Then suddenly twitter went mad, and news coverage of an incident in the FA Cup quarter-final between Tottenham and Bolton was headline news. The coverage regarding Fabrice Muamba and the tragic events that unfolded has been wholly justified in my opinion. We occasionally hear of instances similar to this, Marc Vivien-Foé in 2003 being a prime example, but until it happens in our own back yard, as it were, we don’t really seem to feel affected and draw our support in collectively.

Anyone who saw the footage on ESPN either live or subsequently, I am imagined felt the same as me: moved, shocked and scared. It was totally unexpected. The ball was out for a goal kick, there was no-one near Muamba and suddenly he is face down on the floor, with a physio rushing on trying to turn him over with little support from the player himself. It was clearly a disturbing and frightening moment that demonstrated the severity of the issue. It has subsequently emerged that Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest. He is still in a critical condition, after six paramedics ran onto the field to help resuscitate the Congo-born midfielder. They tried for six minutes on the pitch and allegedly for another two hours on route to, and inside the hospital, just to get his heart beating of its own accord once again. For those who were actually at the match, it must have been a harrowing experience. People looked visibly shaken up, including some of the players, and despite clearly understanding the severity of the situation and supporting the player through chanting of his name, the supporters must have been out of the picture a bit more than those watching on television, where touchline reporters could try and provide information to the masses.

The fact that Muamba is still alive, albeit in intensive care and in a critical condition, demonstrates the amazing work the paramedics did. There are these kinds of people at every sporting occasion, on hand to provide medical aid if it is required. The majority of these are the St John’s Ambulance Service, which you must remember, is a charitable, voluntary organisation. If you want to do something good with your life, then this has to be one of the most fulfilling roles you can undertake. The work they do, with the case of Saturday night being the largest on the scale, is incredible and not commended enough in my opinion. It is certainly more praiseworthy than some of the sick and twisted individuals that have chosen to make light of the subject. This is where the power of social media is detrimental. People post ‘jokes’ and spread false information to generate hype. This is somebody’s life. How would you feel if the incident concerned someone you knew and cared for? You definitely would not be making jokes about it and would express fury at those that did I imagine. So take a look at yourself and note that a young man is bravely battling for his life after collapsing during a job that he loves.

It demonstrates as well, that not all of the football family have pulled together, though it has been amazing to see how many have. Ever since the incident, members from all parts of the football community have been displaying their support. Many fans, and not just those of Bolton, flocked to the Reebok Stadium, hoping to discover news of the midfielder, whilst the messages were flooding in all forms of the media, particularly twitter where fellow professionals were voicing their concerns and support. With Eric Abidal set to go under the knife for a liver transplant this week, it really demonstrates the extreme measures footballers put their bodies through to try and maintain their position within the game. Even at the match itself, there was no animosity from anyone when the match was abandoned, when fans in particular, could have vented some frustration. The whole incident was dealt with excellently I thought, and now we just hope Muamba pulls through. What does concern me though, is that it has required a traumatic incident like this to bring the football family together. This season there have been too many incidents that have fragmented different sectors of the footballing community. Too many arguments, too many unsportsmanlike acts, and they need to be stopped, or managed and governed much better than they have been. We play the game for our love and passion for it, Fabrice Muamba was a perfect example of that, and so if it ever needed to be more underlined that we need to remember our reasons for being involved in the game, then surely this is it.

Fabrice Muamba was no ordinary footballer. To compare him to Wayne Rooney for example is ridiculous. Here was a man established within the Premier League as an extraordinarily fit, box-to-box midfielder, committed to the cause and never letting his team-mates down in terms of effort. This dedication made him a fans favourite, alongside giving supporters the time they wished for with their hero. He was an intelligent man as well, still gaining an education alongside his football career, probably planning his future once his career concludes (which was expected another ten years at least). He and his family’s lives have now been lurched into perennial worry and they will never be the same again. If he does pull through, you would have to say that the medical advice is likely to culminate his career now. This would be a real shame for a man who had even established himself within, and captained, the England U’21 side. However, it is at times like these when health comes before anything else, and Muamba is smart enough to listen to advice and make the right call. However, right now, all we can do is put aside our footballing differences and remain united. Meanwhile, I, like I imagine all of you, wish the very best to Fabrice and pray for his family. I truly do hope that he makes a full recovery.