Quick-thinking referee calls for defibrillators at all clubs
A life-saving referee has urged footballing venues without defibrillators to act now.
Chris Bright was officiating a veterans’ match at Sevenoaks Town’s Greatness Park and was quick to act when a player collapsed. Spotting the signs of a heart attack, he performed CPR and with the aid of a defibrillator and assistance from other players, a life was saved.
Bright, 43, was told that without his intervention the player, Ian Clark, would have died.
“He was a goner,” said the Sevenoaksbased official.
“The funny thing was, I know these players because I have played with them and when I first turned up it was a vets game and it was 22 degrees and I jokingly said, ‘I hope the defib is available today!’.
“I know where it is because I also coach at the club. As soon as the events unfolded we got that defib out sharpish.”
Defibrillators are designed for anyone to use, talking users through exactly what to do. On the day Bright and those helping were told to shock the player, which they did. They continued CPR and Clark regained consciousness, something that rarely happens at the scene.
The match official was assisted by players Dan Thomas, Sean Jarvis and Bret Northover.
Bright said: “The heart doctor that turned up on scene said the actions we carried out 100% saved his life. I have seen two lives saved from defibs already and the technology with them is so good that even with a basic knowledge you can still do so much with them - they literally tell youwhattodo.”
And a message to those clubs without one?
“It is essential you get one,” he said. Funding is available to help with the cost.
Bright said: “My advice to anyone that hasn’t got one, or anyone not trained in this situation, [is] then do it, because it 100% saves people’s lives as we saw the other weekend.
“You just need to take a bit of ownership to make sure you know what to do in that situation, not just for adults, but for junior players also, because there is a slight difference to what you do with a younger player to an older player.”
It can happen to anyone, anytime, players and spectators, too. There was the high-profile case when Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest during a Euro 2020 match. Early intervention saved his life. Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba also received defibrillator shocks after collapsing in a match 10 years ago and he too survived.
Those high-profile incidents have helped promote the need for the installation of defibrillator machines and training.
Sadly, former Gillingham manager Justin Edinburgh died after suffering a cardiac arrest in 2019. The gym where he was at didn’t have a defibrillator.
Edinburgh’s son, Charlie, set up the JE3 Foundation with the ambition to empower every person to act fast, with the right skills and access to lifesaving resources. He wants to make defibrillators a legal requirement in all gyms and sports facilities.
The Football Association have a free online course on sudden cardiac arrest.
“By having trained people and defibs available saves lives,” said Bright. “I went to see the bloke at his home with his wife and his kids, they were sitting there with a husband and a dad. If these facilities weren’t available then they wouldn’t be.
“He was obviously very grateful when I went to see him. He had lost consciousness and couldn’t remember a great deal but he is also very much of the opinion that he wants to raise awareness of making sure these facilities are available so if it happens to anyone else then they can get the help that he did.”
And how does it feel to save someone’s life?
“Well, great, to be honest,” said Bright. “When you see someone back in their own house after receiving treatment and having received an email from the hospital saying that without what was done he would be dead, it is a real good feeling.”
The Kent FA said: “Everyone at Kent FA would like to wish the player a speedy recovery.
“Recent high-profile events have highlighted that a cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere, at any time - at home, work, or out in public - and even to elite sportspeople. “There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests annually in the
UK; tragically, less than one in 10 people survive. But the effective use of CPR and a defibrillator can sometimes double a person’s chances of survival.”