DOWSE: I THOUGHT I WAS A GONER!
Cards boss reveals his Coronavirus scare
WOKING manager Alan Dowson has revealed how he thought he was going to die during his battle with the Coronavirus – and is now urging people to stay at home.
The 49-year-old was rushed by ambulance to St Peter’s Hospital three weeks ago as the deadly disease began to restrict his breathing.
The popular Cards boss told The NLP: “I’m not scared of dying, I’ve always been like that, but when I was in the ambulance I knew I was in trouble, I thought I was a goner.
“People should stick to the rules.
“You see these crackerjacks going for picnics and on beaches, it’s stupid!”
ALAN Dowson is calling for people to stay at home after fearing he was going to die as the coronavirus took hold of him.
The Woking manager was rushed by ambulance to St Peter’s Hospital, Chertsey, three weeks ago as the deadly disease began to restrict his breathing.
And Dowson, a popular and successful figure in Non-League having managed Walton & Hersham, Kingstonian and Hampton & Richmond all to promotions, admits he feared the worst.
“I’m not scared of dying, I’ve always been like that, but when I was in the ambulance I knew I was in trouble, I thought I was a goner,” he told The NLP. “I couldn’t breathe. They were giving me oxygen but they thought my bloods were strong enough to be able to deal with it.
“After a couple of days I returned home but I was still sweating and spent another week in bed. I’ve been out walking the dog recently and I’m getting better.”
Dowson accepts he was sceptical of the virus at first when Woking’s fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge on March 14 was postponed at late notice, but now his view on the pandemic has changed.
Crackerjacks
“I was saying we were going to be training on the Tuesday and my captain Josh Casey was saying we can’t do that,” said Dowson. “Two weeks later, after I had it, he was the first to ring saying, ‘how’s that flu?!’.
“I’ve played through a broken leg and I’m usually the one saying to players to get on with it, but I’m glad I got it, I deserved to get it because I was ignorant saying it wasn’t that bad.
“People should stick to the rules. You see these crackerjacks going for picnics and on beaches, it’s stupid!”
Dowson has enjoyed a hugely impressive season guiding part-time Woking into play-off contention in his first time managing at NonLeague’s top table.
But as much as he would like the 2019-20 campaign to return, he can’t envisage a restart.
Dowson added: “In my opinion we should finish it but, with another three weeks of lockdown, I don’t think we will.
“With us being part-time, the contracts finish in May. I don’t know how it could happen beyond that. The money that came down (from the Premier League) is just an advance payment, so no money has come down, it’s scandalous.
“I think there has to be some outcome at the end of it, whether that’s points-per-game or not. Some people will be upset, some people will be a winner.”