Steward airlifted to hospital in medical drama 'so looking forward' to his day at Atherstone Ball Game

Community spirit was judged the undisputed winner of the abandoned 2020 Atherstone Ball Game after the town rallied to the aid of a 38-year-old steward thought to have had a heart attack in the latter stages of the event.

Paramedics fought to revive the stricken official, named locally as Martyn Burton, inside the event headquarters of Atherstone Conservative Club.

The former Queen Elizabeth School pupil left the melee of the ball game and asked club staff for a glass of water before apparently collapsing.

Event organisers realising the serious situation took the unprecedented step of halting the event – in its 821st year.

The klaxon that normally signals a winning team tolled for an entirely different reason – with the game called off around 4.20pm

A Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air ambulance and crews from West Midlands Ambulance Service were scrambled and medics went inside the club to attend to the official. He was airlifted to the Walsgrave Hospital where his condition is not known.

Initial reports had suggested an injury to the man but later ones indicated a health issue.

A statement from the event committee praised the "whole community for pulling together in the most serious situation we could be in" and thanked the players for their support in a "very upsetting situation".

It went on: "One of our longest serving stewards took Ill and was seen to immediately by our first responders.

"He received the best care on site and that is carrying on at the hospital

"The town would like to send their love and support to him and his family."

Lou Hadley, event secretary Janneen Bernard's sister, told Nub News: "It's so very sad.

"I went to school with Martin. He was in the same year as me and I was only talking to him before the game got underway and he was so looking to it, as usual.

"Everything had seemed to be going so well this year – before this happened.

"The only good thing to come out of this was how well the townsfolk reacted.

"Community spirit certainly won the day – even though no team actually took the title."

Earlier ex-Coventry City stars Dave Bennett and Kirk Stephens threw the ball in from the upstairs balcony of the club at 3pm, and were getting ready to join in the fun as the event "got serious" around 4.30pm. The ball game normally ends on the stroke of 5pm.