MEDICAL DRAMA: Lockyer being treated on the pitch after collapsing
Lockyer backing life-saving campaign LUTON v EVERTON
WHATEVER happens in their relegation moment of truth, Luton Town have already enjoyed the greatest result in their history.
Hatters captain Tom Lockyer’s recovery from a cardiac arrest on the pitch at Bournemouth last December will forever remain a reference point in the chronicle of a club who keep defying the odds.
Luton may need to win two of their last three games to stay up, and tonight’s game with Everton has the air of a date with salvation or perdition.
But five months on from a medical emergency which resulted in him being fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator, Lockyer is “at peace” with the prospect of retirement if he is advised to give up playing.
Baby daughter Mila, just two months old, is his priority now. The fantasy of being Luton’s hero in the relegation battle will have to remain a pipedream – although he can be their motivation.
Lockyer, 29, was “technically dead” for 2min 40sec before medics resuscitated him on the pitch at the Vitality Stadium.
He admitted: “What kept me going, after it happened, I always said I would be the one who scored the goal that kept Luton in the Premier League.
Silly
“Quickly the doc and the physio told me, ‘Whoa, calm down, don’t be silly’ and that was quite hard to take. I was like, ‘Really? Let’s just get another opinion first!’.
“But they are all of the same mind – take it easy, mate.
“ºNow I can see the bigger context and take a step back, I know I’m incredibly fortunate to be here.
“Being a father is such an incredible feeling. Mila is doing really well and I feel so lucky to be here, to hold her and watch her grow up.
“It was always going to be tough for us to stay up on a shoestring budget, relative to the Premier League, with a full-strength squad.
“So after all the adversity we’ve had, without a doubt Rob Edwards would be the manager of the season if we make it.
“One thing Luton have got is that it’s not over until it’s over. That fighting spirit is ingrained in the DNA.
“Watching games rather than playing in them has been different.
“When the boys were winning games, it was a lot easier than seeing them lose and thinking, ‘Ah, if only I could help them’.
“Ultimately I’m just part of a big family at Luton which extends well beyond the first team and I can’t speak highly enough of the club. I just wish I was out there helping.” Lockyer is a face of the British
Heart Foundation’s brilliant campaign Every Minute Counts, in conjunction with EFL title sponsors Sky Bet, to teach a new army of SOS first-aiders the art of CPR.
Target
Their target is for at least 270,000 people – enough to fill Wembley three times – to learn CPR from RevivR, a free 15-minute online tutorial, in the next 12 months.
Lockyer said: “I was so lucky that
I was treated so quickly by doctors and paramedics who are all trained.
“But there are 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests each year and the survival rate is less than 10 per cent.
“That’s five people needing emergency attention every 90 minutes, the duration of a football match.
“For the sake of 15 minutes, which is all it takes to learn CPR log, on to the British Heart Foundation website and the RevivR tool on there will show you exactly what you need to do to save someone’e life.
To learn life-saving CPR in 15 minutes, go to www.bhf.org.uk
SEAN DYCHE admits Everton would have appointed a “fashionista” manager instead of him if they had not been in deep trouble.
Dyche has been candid as he reflects on his 16 months in charge and claims he was only appointed due to the club’s financial problems.
“I arguably wouldn’t have got this job unless the club was in, maybe not as bad as what it’s ended up being with the points deuction,” he said.
“But probably I wouldn’t have got this job if it was all rosy. I’m not doing myself down, but maybe it would have been a more flamboyant fashionista-style coach.”
Tonight’s clash with Luton looked edgy before Dyche dispelled all that tension by steering the Blues to safety.
However 777 Partners’ protracted takeover still has to be approved by the Premier League, leaving Everton living hand to mouth.
Afloat
Coveted stars like Jarrad Branthwaite could be sold to keep them afloat.
Dyche said: “The local feeling seems to be, ‘that’s it, it’s solved’. It’s not. There’s loads to do.
“There’s still a truth that this club is not where it was financially four, five or six years ago when new money came in.”
Luton boss Rob Edwards admits Everton might play with a little more freedom now the visitors are no longer feeling the pressure of relegation.
“Time will tell, we don’t know. We haven’t got a crystal ball,” said Edwards.
“They’ve done incredibly well in very difficult circumstances to get themselves out of it and we know it’s huge for us.
“At times like this it’s about who deals with the pressure best. There’s probably less on them now but that could give them an edge, with more freedom.” *Everton Brentford **N Forest Luton Burnley
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