FOOTBALLER’S DEATH

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22796, 23 August 1939, Page 5

FOOTBALLER’S DEATH

Evidence Given At Inquest

STATEMENT BY MEDICAL WITNESS' A suggestion that when a football refex’ee had any suspicion that any player in a game under his control might have suffered Concussion, he should be immediately made to go off the field, was made by a medical'witness in an inquest yesterday. The inquest concerned the death oi Robert Landon'Webb, a young civil servant, who suffered concussion in a lowergrade match. •Evidence showed that Webb finished the game, and then on his way home called at thei Christchurch Hospital, There he was examined and allowed finally to go home, with a warning that if he felt any headache, jor dizziness or tendency to vomit he should immediately return to hospital. In any case an appointment was made for him to return in two days for an X-ray.

At his homte, it was said in evidence, .Webb did develop these symptoms, and was admitted to hospital for observation. For some days he complained of'headaches', but doctors could find no trace of a localised head injury which might be serious. Finally his physical condition grew worse, and on that it was decided,to operate, but before the operation he died. Dr. J. K. Davidson, the practitioner who attended Webb in his home and finally ordered his removal to hospital, said that in his opinion the hospital staff had taken a reasonable attitude. They had each Saturday many cases of mild concussion, and it was difficult with men who were feeling well, and showing no signs at all of any serious injury, to know what .to do with them. Mr J. K. Moloney, who appeared for Webb’s relatives, asked if Dr. Davidson had any suggestion which might help in avoiding the big number of such cases of fatal concussion. There were an enormous number of cases of the kind, he said. It might help if it could be a definite instruction to referees that if there was any suggestion that a man might have concussion he should immediately be pul/ off and not allowed to play again in the game, said Dr. Davidson. Coroner’s Statement The Coroner, Mr E. C. Levvey, agreed with the view of Dr. Davidson, saying that it would be as well if prominence was given the statement of the witness. Footballers might not like to stop under such circumstances, but if they knew the medical opinion, they might be helped in the decision. Evidence by other doctors showed that the injury sustained by -Webb was an unusual type of concussion and could not be 'detected. No one could have thought that ah operation was necessary, and it was extremely doubtful, said some of the witnesses, whether an earlier operation could have saved Webb.

Maurice Gomez, coach of the University fourth-grade team, said that he noticed that Webb was injured when a scrum collapsed near the end of the game. He saw a boot flash,- but did not see it strike Webb. Webb, who had an injury over his right eye, was holding his right arm, and after the match he told witness it was paralysed. The referee of the match, Charles Spring, said that he did not see Webb injured. The game would have been stopped if he had noticed that Webb had been hurt.

The verdict was that death on July 9 was due to concussion after intercranial hemorrhage suffered in a football match on June 24.