Injured footballer waits 90 minutes for ambulance to arrive
Last updated on .From the section Football
A non-league footballer who had been knocked out following a challenge on Saturday had to lie on the pitch for 90 minutes as he waited for an ambulance.
South Shields FC's Adam Sakr was injured in a Northern League division two match with Ryhope Colliery Welfare after colliding with an opponent.
The midfielder was unconscious for around 20 seconds and, after an ambulance was called, the decision was made not to risk moving him.
The match was eventually abandoned.
Sakr is now back home after receiving treatment in hospital for suspected shoulder damage. He also suffered a black eye and lost a tooth.
"I was not prepared to move him because he had too much neck and back pain," South Shields physio Andrew Morris said.
"When I rang the ambulance service they said the same thing, advising to keep him warm and not move him."
The injury happened in the fourth minute of the game and the referee had initially opted to suspend play for 20 minutes.
However as the wait went on for medical assistance to arrive, the decision was made to call off the fixture.
Morris had no complaints about the length of time it took for an ambulance to arrive, adding: "To be fair to North East Ambulance service they did ring me back and apologised for the long wait and checked that the patient was OK.
"It just happened that there were a few other emergencies that took precedence."
When an ambulance did arrive, Sakr was taken to South Tyneside District Hospital, where he was treated and then discharged after a couple of hours.
On Saturday night, Sakr tweeted: "Couldn't be more appreciative for all the kind messages. Hope to be back playing soon."