Non-league club's goalkeeper saves spectator's life after being sent off

Ben Scott – Goalkeeper in green being sent off

Ben Scott, a non-league football player and a goalkeeper for the lesser known side Stocksbridge Park Steels, saved the life of a 70-year-old man that had collapsed in the stands. Scott was shown a red card when he dangerously tackled an opponent during his team’s match up against Northern Premier League counterparts King’s Lynn Town in an away match.

The fan, a 70-year-old rival fan, had suffered a cardiac arrest and had fallen on the sidelines which the player noticed and immediately called for help. He and the nurse helped stabilise the old man in the ambulance of a local hospital, St. John’s.

Scott, a 29-year-old, when asked about the incident explained,”I started walking off the field, getting a nice bit of abuse as you do, when I noticed a young girl running past me, she said, ‘a gentleman’s died’, so I followed her into the crowd and came across the gentleman on the floor. His heart was in an irregular rhythm.”

Scott added that he and the ambulance crew gave the man a shock which gave the man a fighting chance. He went on to say, “You’ve got to bear in mind that these guys [St John Ambulance] do it for free – they were fantastic.

“It does put things into perspective – you do realise that football is only a game.”

The man, later taken to Elizabeth Hospital in Kings Lynn, recovered and is safely back home. The game ended in a draw with the scoreline of 3-3.