Rob's quick-thinking saved Albion fan's life

Trevor, 65, was taken ill with a complex condition known as an Ischaemic Limb, in which the main artery to the leg gets blocked. If not treated quickly enough, a sudden surge of potassium is excreted from the cells, with a very high chance of dying.

Thankfully, Trevor was treated at the scene by stadium doctor Rob Galloway and the St John Ambulance team – and their quick thinking and professionalism ensured that an operation took place at the Royal Sussex County Hospital within two hours of diagnosis.

Trevor’s son Charlie, 25, was with his father when he fell ill in the West Upper and recalls an extremely harrowing end to what had been a wonderful evening of football.

“It all happened after Leandro Trossard had scored our fourth goal,” recalled the Albion season-ticket holder. “My dad left his seat to go to the toilet, but ten or so minutes had gone by and he still hadn’t come back.

“I went out to see what had happened, maybe he had got lost, and I found him slouched against a wall. He said he couldn’t feel his foot, and as he has suffered with blocked arteries in his legs since I was little, I immediately took him down in the lift to the 1901 Club and alerted the St John Ambulance staff.

“They responded quickly, taking him to the North Stand where he was assessed by Rob. It was all a bit frantic, a lot of things going on, but the fact that the seriousness of dad’s condition was diagnosed at the stadium put us one step ahead. In fact, it made all the difference.

“You could tell by the atmosphere at the hospital that it was touch and go for a while, but if we didn’t get dad straight through to surgery as quickly as we did, I don’t think he would be here now.

“The St John Ambulance team were great but the work Rob did was absolutely phenomenal. He came in, dictated the situation and was on the phone to the hospital while working on my dad. It was real life-saving work.”

Trevor is now on the mend and while an amputation would come as a major blow to most people, Charlie has found plenty of positives from such a serious situation.

“I’d rather have my dad with an amputation than not have my dad at all,” he pointed out. “To have him still with us is absolutely brilliant and he’s really upbeat. He’s going to have tough days, of course, but he’s really head-strong and really focused.

“When he came round from theatre, he rang me and sounded like a completely different person. He’s now pain-free and without looking down, you wouldn’t think there was anything wrong with him. His spirits are back and he’s back to himself, albeit minus a limb. Given the grief he’d had with the leg, it wouldn’t surprise me if he now goes on to walk better than he did before.

“I got to thank Rob and the St John Ambulance team for all they did when I went to the West Ham game on the final day. Hopefully dad will be back next season and can thank them in person.”