Sussex footballer sprints to help after fan collapses at match

A medical emergency in the 87th minute involving a Crows supporter who had collapsed saw a call over the tannoy for anyone with first aid training to help.

Hassocks’ Bradley Tighe was one of the first on the scene, running the length of the pitch to assist and arranging for an ambulance to be sent to the Community Stadium far more quickly than the original waiting time of two hours.

The game was restarted when the spectator regained consciousness and the final 10 minutes played in front of a subdued, almost silent crowd. The full time whistle was greeted with little celebration.

Tighe returned to further support the fan after the game, who was released from hospital the following day. It was a reminder there are more important things in life than football.

Back to matters on the pitch, and Crowborough Athletic had only lost two Southern Combination League games all season before Hassocks made their first visit to the Crowborough Community Stadium since 2014.

Inflicting defeat number three on their hosts was arguably the best result of the Robins’ season so far, a 3-2 win being their third in a row and pushing them into the top six of the Premier Division.