Totty gets his hands on the play-off trophy
TOWN CHAIRMAN DEAN HOYLE MAKES TOTTY’S DAY ON VISIT TO JOHN SMITH’S STADIUM
THESE are the pictures one of Huddersfield Town’s most popular fans – Totty – thought he might never see.
Totty – real name Andrew Cruickshanks – almost died in May after being assaulted.
Father-of-five Totty, 53, spent three weeks in a coma and missed Town’s historic Wembley play-off victory over Reading.
Totty spent almost seven weeks at Leeds General Infirmary after he was assaulted at Stone Fold, Honley.
He was attacked after attending Town’s first leg play-off semi-final against Sheffield Wednesday and didn’t know about Town’s promotion to the Premier League – until weeks later.
But now Totty, of Holmfirth, a fanatical Town supporter since 1974, has begun rebuilding his life thanks to the devotion of girlfriend Fung Lee.
Doctors said he was “incredibly lucky” to have survived the attack but he has no sense of smell, has lost his hearing in his right ear and gets tired easily meaning attending his beloved Town matches is no easy task.
However, he was given a huge boost by Town chairman Dean Hoyle who has always been famed for his common touch with fans.
Totty said: “I’d just popped down to the John Smith’s Stadium on Friday morning to sort out an extra ticket for ‘Foo’ who’s hoping to come to some of the matches with me.
“Dean came through into reception and asked how I was and said he had been following my progress. He asked if I had seen the video of Town’s Wembley celebrations and showed me it.
“He then asked if I had seen the Championship play-off trophy and when I said ‘no’ he said: ‘I’ll get it for you.’ He came back with it in a bag and posed for pictures with myself and Foo. He’s made my day.” And Totty said he had been cheered by the number of people who have got in touch via social media since the Examiner’s story about his recovery.
He said: “There was a great article in the Examiner and I have had a lot of people get in touch to give me their best and saying how they hope I will be attending Town’s matches which has been brilliant.”
Although he has enjoyed a huge improvement in his health since the attack Totty, a diabetic, said he still has many obstacles to overcome.
He said: “I suffer from anxiety, get tired very easily and I get dizzy quite a lot. And I’m prone to epileptic fits. There have been times when I thought I ought to be back in hospital. So attending matches with large crowds is not plain sailing.”
A 49-year-old Huddersfield man has been arrested and bailed in connection with the attack.