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Football fan, 14, hit by brick
Friday 10th April 2009, 2:35PM BST.
Ryan Asson, 14, of Dawley Bank, was hit in the face by a brick thrown after last night's AFC Telford match
A 14-year-old boy was left scarred for life when he was hit in the face by a lump of concrete hurled through the window of a coach taking AFC Telford United fans home after their side’s Setanta Shield triumph.
The attack marred a jubilant night for The Bucks who overcame Forest Green Rovers in a penalty shoot-out to lift their first piece of silverware.
Ryan at home with his mother, Donna
Devoted Bucks fan Ryan Asson needed 15 stitches and doctors removed up to 20 shards of glass from his eyes after the concrete smashed through the windscreen outside Rovers’ ground in Gloucestershire last night.
Ryan, a Phoenix School pupil who has not missed a game since the club was reborn in 2004, suffered deep cuts to his nose and right eye and also a scratched left retina.
Both he and his father, Kelvin Stallard, of New Dale, Telford, were treated at Gloucester Royal Hospital.
Ryan’s mother, Mrs Donna Asson, said the youngster would now have to see an eye specialist.
Ryan, who is recovering at the home in Dawley Bank, said: “I saw three lads running down towards the coach and I described one of them to the police but I don’t know who threw the rock.”
He said the incident would not put him off his beloved Bucks and he was going to Telford’s home game tomorrow with Redditch.
Student nurse Mrs Asson, 37, said: “Telford is such a family orientated club.
“I don’t blame Forest Green or its true supporters but football should not be like this. This was just a thug who used football as an excuse to be violent to a little boy.”
David Embery, chairman of AFC Telford United’s Supporters’ Trust, went to the hospital last night with friend and previous trust chairman Anthony Goodwin. He said: “Our focus will now be on Ryan and Kevin and making sure that they are OK.”
Forest Green Rovers Football Club spokesman Colin Peake said he visited Ryan and his father in hospital last night to express the club’s deepest regrets at what had happened.
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CLUB STATEMENT
Forest Green Rovers Football Club are saddened to hear of the injuries caused to a 14 year old boy and his father, both supporters of AFC Telford United, who were subjected to a mindless act of vandalism, when their official supporters coaches were descending Spring Hill, leading away from the stadium after the conclusion of the Setanta Shield Final.
After every effort had been made by the club to welcome everyone to the final, which attracted almost 2500 people, including 600 children under 16yrs of age, it is this sort of act which causes our sport such a bad name. Obviously at this stage it is unproven whether the offender is associated with the club or even attended the match but the perception is clearly damaging to the image which the club wishes to portray,
On behalf of the club, Colin Peake stated “This marred what was in all other aspects a great evening for the club and the local community, to show that we can stage such finals, only for one individual to throw an object towards persons who had no way to defend themselves or even be aware that an object was being thrown. We pride ourselves at the New Lawn in being a family orientated club and over the 20 years of being personally associated with this club, I cannot recall such an incident before. We made the final attractive for children to come, especially with it being screened live on television and the turn out of youngsters was higher than we anticipated. For one of those, to end what for him was an enjoyable evening, detracts from what the club is all about”
“I personally visited both the young boy and his father at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital just after midnight and expressed on behalf of the club our deep regret that such an incident had occurred and wished both a speedy recovery. It was pleasing to find the young boy in good spirits despite his facial injuries. May I therefore seek the backing of all true supporters aligned to our club, to come forward with any information which may assist identifying the offender, to contact the police or myself at the club without delay”.
end/cjp
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