'Horror as I thought I'd lost my eye'

From the Telegraph & Argus, first published Thursday 3rd Mar 2005.

Police have launched an investigation into a football match that ended with horrific injuries to a player's eye.

Andrew Shuttleworth, of Bradford, who plays semi-professional football with Harrogate Railway Athletic Club fears he will never fully recover his eyesight after his eye socket was fractured by, he claims, a punch in the final minute of a match.

"When it happened there was blood spurting everywhere and I could tell when I touched my eye that my eye socket had sunk," said Andrew. "I was in agony; the pain was unbearable and I thought I might lose my eye altogether."

The 24-year-old has had to undergo major surgery to cut away his scalp and remove a piece of bone from the side of his head to rebuild his eye socket.

He said the doctors are still not certain whether or not his sight will ever be the same.

"This injury could spell the end not only for my footballing career but also for my job," he said.

Andrew, who works as a football development officer for the West Riding County Football Association, was playing in midfield in a League Cup replay against Carlton Town when the incident took place.

"We were 2-1 up with one minute to play when I went to head the ball, the next minute I was lying on the floor," said Andrew.

A North Yorkshire Police spokesman confirmed that they received an allegation of assault which took place during a match at the grounds of Harrogate Railway at Starbeck, Harrogate.

"Harrogate police are currently investigating," said the spokesman.

The game took place on the evening of Wednesday, February 9. The player who punched Andrew was given a yellow card by the referee.

"I was pretty upset that no further action was taken," said Andrew, who moved from Wibsey to live with his girlfriend in Harrogate a month ago.

"From what my team mates were saying the attack was very aggressive and there is no place in football for that type of behaviour, it should not be tolerated."

Stuart Lloyd, club secretary at Harrogate Railway, said: "I have been involved with the club for more than ten years now and I have never seen anything as bad as this before.

"The referee deemed it as a yellow card but we were very surprised by that decision because we thought it should have been a red card."

A yellow card carries a fixed penalty to be paid by the offending player but a red card carries harsher sanctions including a suspension for a set period of time and a more substantial financial penalty.

"We are all very upset that this has happened to one of our players," said Mr Lloyd.

"Andy has a lot of potential and his talents will be sorely missed for the rest of the season."

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