TeAcher Aged 28 dies After collApse in footbAll mAtch
A FOOTBALL player has died after collapsing on the pitch during a match between two amateur teams in East Yorkshire.
James Moorfoot, a 28 year-old English teacher, was playing for Langtoft AFC in a game at Rudston, near Driffield, when he fell ill.
Air and road ambulances were called to the ground just before 3.30 on Saturday, but Mr Moorfoot was pronounced dead at the scene.
Last night, Steve Ostler, his acting head teacher at Hornsea School and Language College, broke the news to colleagues and parents in an email.
Mr Ostler wrote: “It is my very sad duty to inform you that James Moorfoot, a teacher of English at our school, collapsed and subsequently died whilst playing football on Saturday afternoon.
“Our thoughts are with his family, friends, colleagues in the English department, and his partner, at this most difficult of times.”
Mr Ostler added: “Our students and colleagues are being offered support through the services of employees of East Riding Council who are trained in bereavement counselling.”
The match involved Langtoft and Hedon Rangers in the East Riding County League.
Yesterday, pupils set up a Facebook page in Mr Moorfoot’s memory.
One post read: “Thoughts go out to Mr Moorfoot’s family and friends.
“If you want, when you come to school tomorrow, bring a flower along with you and put it outside of the main entrance. Just so we can show our support to his family and friends.
“Another angel has been taken from us far too early.”
Another tribute on Facebook read: “Thoughts go out to the family and friends of the lad who passed away playing for Langtoft. Big shame.”
Yorkshire Ambulance Service said crews were called to reports of a male who had collapsed on the playing fields at Rudston.
A spokesman said: “We sent a rapid response vehicle, a first responder vehicle, two ambulances and Yorkshire Air Ambulance also attended, but sadly the patient died at the scene.”
The tragedy is the second in Yorkshire during the current football season.
Last September, Daniel Wilkinson, 26, a defender for non-league Shaw Lane AFC, died after collapsing an hour into a cup match at Brighouse Town’s St Giles Road stadium.