STEWART: I’M JUST LUCKY TO BE ALIVE
JON STEWART has revealed he is lucky to be alive after a freak accident at work saw 11,000 volts of electricity shoot through him.
The Matlock Town goalkeeper was delivering containers to a building site when he found himself stuck in the forcefield of a huge current, flinging him 10 metres back.
The accident capped a difficult year for the former Portsmouth, AFC Bournemouth and Burnley pro keeper who was forced to sit out for a month for a breach of betting regulations, before then suffering the tragic loss of Matlock teammate Jordan Sinnott.
Now, though, things appear to be on the up for the 31-year-old stopper, dubbed “the best goalkeeper in the Northern Premier League” by manager Paul Phillips.
In April, came some welcome news with the birth of his second son and now Stewart has signed on the dotted line to start a second season with the Gladiators.
A far cry from that fateful afternoon back in January when the popular keeper thought he was a goner.
“I was at work and on a windy and rainy day,” he told the club’s website. “The weather caused the current to jump from the wire into the container I was delievering and 11,000 volts went through my body.
“The doctors said they couldn’t believe I was still here, nor could my family.
“I was in hospital for just under a week and had to take things easy for a good while after that. Again the club stood by me from day one which I’ll never forget.”
Stewart joined Matlock after being released by Gainsborough Trinity last summer and became an instant hit with the Gladiators fans, not conceding a goal from open play in his opening five league games.
But things for both player and club soon turned sour with the Gladiators winning only four more games in the league from the end of August until the season was declared null and void in March.
For Stewart, too, it was a particularly bleak time. He was banned by the FA for an alleged breach of betting regulations shortly before Christmas – this before he, and the rest of the club, was rocked by the death of midfielder Sinnott, who had been attacked on a night out in Retford in January.
“We all had high hopes when I first signed, I was happy to sign for a good club,” explained Stewart, who learned his trade under Eddie Howe at both Bournemouth and Burnley.
“It all started so well, we were winning games and everything looked fine but then issues from my past caught up with me, it took me by surprise. I received the ban but the club backed me one hundred per cent which I really appreciate. Then came Jordan’s death which knocked the stuffing out of a lot of the players.
“It’d been an emotional six or seven months, an emotional rollercoaster. But now we can see light at the end of the tunnel.”
For boss Phillips, though, early-season form and Stewart’s previous betting misdemeanour is all water under the bridge – he’s got the goalkeeper he wants to lead his team’s charge for next season.
“The big man’s back,” Phillips beamed. “It’s great news, for me he’s the best goalkeeper in this league.
“It was a frustrating time for him last season with his injury problems and other issues but he’s back and he’s raring to go. He’s got a big presence, both on the field and in the dressing room and if you’re going to do well in the league, he’s the type of character you need in your side.”