By Josh Mangham
The return of college football was marred this weekend by an horrific accident that left onlookers stunned and players sickened.
Alcuin defender Joe Smith was hospitalised after a full-blooded challenge left him with a suspected broken fibia AND tibia.
Although the referee showed no hesitation in immediately putting an end to the match, the emergency services showed no such urgency.
Shockingly it was 35 minutes before the ambulance arrived on the field.
To add insult to injury the ambulance became stuck in the mud, having to be rescued by players pushing it from behind. The James-Alcuin match had only been ten minutes old when Alcuin player Joe Smith crumpled in pain after going into a 50-50 challenge, screaming in agony as play was stopped and paramedics were called. One spectator confessed: “I had to look away-the injury was that awful. Both players went for the ball, but Joe seemed to get his foot caught in the ground as he went into the tackle. It was horrendous.”
Although the game was cancelled, the three other college games, the first since before Christmas due to bad weather, went ahead uninterrupted.
Langwith and Wentworth battled to a 2-2 draw, whilst Halifax and Derwent recorded narrow 1-0 wins.
It was a sombre return to college football though, leaving players and spectators both hoping for a more positive kind of drama next weekend.
Both players went for the ball…but only one went in with studs up.
Two great names have already suffered this horrific injury; me in primary school (8 weeks out) and ,in one of the most shocking injuries of recent times, Dgibril Cisse (nearly had his leg amputated). The extent of the injury depends on firstly, how lucky you are and secondly, how hard you are.