It’s been a gruelling process endeavouring to type even a line of text feasibly coherent enough to convey the shock and heartbreak that engulfed the world of football following Fabrice Muamba’s collapse at White Hart Lane on Saturday evening. The 30,000 plus supporters inside the ground and millions watching at home ESPN bore witness to arguably one of the most distressing scenes that any of us are ever likely to witness on a football field. There are no words to describe the tragic moment the 23-year-old Bolton midfielder crumpled on to the turf after suffering cardiac arrest. It’s something I never want to see again.
Bill Shankly once said: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death, I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”
Not to disagree with a legend of our beautiful game but life is much more precious and significant that 22 men running around on a grass rectangle kicking a leather sphere. In cases like this football is irrelevant. I’ve seen many a tweet, comment, blog post, interview and soundbite with a phrase that has become synonymous in harrowing events like this. I don’t have an adequate number of digits to keep count the amount of times i’ve heard or read ‘it puts everything into perspective’. Whilst it is a clichéd idiomatic expression in this instance, it’s use is entirely appropriate. Because it does indeed make you take stock of your life and those closest to you. For 41 minutes on Saturday evening Muamba was just another footballer that none of use knew or took a particular vested interest in. Nothing seemed amiss as he strolled into space five minutes before half time with neither ball or player in the immediate vicinity. Football held a collective breath.
Then in a blur of blind panic medics from both benches frantically rushed onto the field to his aid once everyone came to the start realisation that this wasn’t the usual sight of a human being stumbling over. It was a situation so grave that it brought players, staff and fans to tears and impelled them to break into prayer and look to the sky. The gravity of what had just transpired was visible in their anguished faces. In that precise moment Fabrice Muamba became more then just a footballer. It’s easy to lose sight of the fact that the individuals we invest so many of our hopes, dreams and emotions in are just mere mortals. In the most distressing of circumstances we were reminded that this young man was a father, a fiancee, a son, a brother, a cousin, a nephew, a grandson. We all took him into our hearts and minds willing him to fight. Urging him to live. Hoping he pulls through.
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Both sets of supporters chanted his name. A touching gesture that will never be forgotten. All I could muster in my mind was that this shouldn’t happen to a young man in the prime of life earning a living in his dream profession. Personally i’ve always loosely followed Muamba’s career for some reason ever since his impressive displays on loan at Birmingham a few years back. I admired his energy, enthusiasm and passion to play the game. You could tell he loved to be out on the field. Whenever I saw him play there would always be a beaming smile gracing his face. My immediate thoughts centred around the likes of Marc Vivien Foe, Phil O’Donnell and Antonio Puerta; three players who had died in similar circumstances. I couldn’t understand why a fate so harrowing would befall them and potentially Muamba. Why does it take a tragic event like this to unify the football family? Sworn enemies become shoulders to cry on as we all tried to come to terms with what had happened.
Success and prosperity, whilst congratulated, is polluted with jealously and envious eyes. There is no happy medium, no shades of grey when it comes to affluence. In the face of tragedy it’s a different story. But it shouldn’t be. It took a young man’s life hanging in the balance for us to all coalesce. Around the globe messages of support streamed in. Not just for Muamba but for his family and friends. Those closest to him who were experiencing the unimaginable pain of seeing their loved one in such distress and being unable to help. If anything good can be derived from his pain it’s that the football family shouldn’t rely on events such as this to bring us all into unison. Whether or not he ever makes it out onto the pitch again is a peripheral thought that should be kept firmly at the back of the head. Right now the outlook is positive. All that remains now is to hope Muamba makes a full and speedy recovery and is able to play a huge part in the life of his son and family. That’s all thats ever mattered. Thats all that ever should matter.
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