A new UK Press Football Trophy was held for the first time at the weekend and became a fundraiser for a player who was seriously injured.
Jason Deans, a journalist on the Media Guardian website, dislocated an ankle and broke his left leg in the closing stages of the tournament between media sides.
The game between his team, Cardiff City, made up of ex-Cardiff University journalism students, and the Press Association, was abandoned to allow an ambulance crew to take Deans off the pitch at Kings Cross, London, on a stretcher. He was applauded off by the other teams and spectators before going to hospital for an operation.
When the tournament resumed ITN was beaten in the final 3-0 by PA. Cardiff City came third and The Times took fourth place. Money was raised for Deans at the tournament. Any further donations can be sent to his team manager Dave Taylor at the Evening Standard.
Organiser Andrew Moger, managing editor for pictures at The Times, said: “Jason was very brave and everybody felt enormous sympathy for him. The idea was to create a sense of ‘Fleet Street camaraderie’ and that was certainly evident during the highly-competitive games but particularly when Jason was injured.” Lindsay MacNab, who plays for PA, said: “We would just like to wish him a speedy recovery.”
Left: PA captain Lindsay MacNab holds the UK Press Football Cup with ITN’s Harry Gibson, Dave Taylor, Cardiff City and Andrew Moger from The Times My ball: action from the final between ITN and PA
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