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Fan stabilised & taken to hospital after medical emergency during Newcastle vs Tottenham game

Newcastle United and Tottenham's Premier League clash on Sunday was temporarily suspended following a medical emergency involving a fan just before half-time at St James' Park.

Play was paused by referee Andre Marriner after players flagged his attention to an incident in the stands, with paramedics and medical staff from both teams assisting the supporter in difficulty.

A later update from Newcastle confirmed that the fan had since been stabilised and that they were on their way to hospital, with the Premier League game resumed a little over 20 minutes after it was first halted.

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What happened?

With Tottenham about to take a corner towards the end of the first half, Sergio Reguilon signalled to referee Marriner and directed him towards the East Stand, where paramedics appeared to be responding to an incident.

With the players visibly concerned that something serious was occuring in the stands, medical staff from both teams were then seen running across the pitch to assist.

The referee then removed both sets of players from the pitch as a defibrillator was called for, with a stadium announcement disclosing that there was a "medical emergency in the East Stand".

After a prolonged period of treatment, Newcastle confirmed that the supporter had been stabilised before being taken to hospital, and the game resumed with seven minutes of additional time added on in the first half.

Newcastle statement

"Newcastle United can confirm that a supporter who required emergency medical treatment during the club's Premier League fixture with Tottenham Hotspur at St James’ Park on Sunday is stable and responsive in hospital," the club confirmed in a statement.

"The match was temporarily suspended during the incident, which occurred during the first half, and the supporter was awake and able to converse upon being transported to hospital.

"The club would like to thank fans for their swift actions in raising the alarm and praise those who provided immediate chest compressions, as well as thanking the on-site medical professionals who swiftly administered emergency treatment using a defibrillator located close to the incident.

"Newcastle United club doctor, Dr Paul Catterson, also attended the incident to offer additional support with an additional defibrillator.

"Our best wishes go to the supporter and their loved ones and we hope for a swift and full recovery."

Middlesbrough doctor's role

One of the men responsible for saving the fan's life was part-time Middlesbrough academy doctor Tom Prichard, who assisted Dr Paul Catterson and St John's Ambulance medical staff with the administering of the defibrillator.

Prichard discussed his role while appearing on BBC Breakfast on Monday morning, saying: "I haven't really had this outside of the hospital before. There was an elderly gentleman laying out on the seats in cardiac arrest with CPR ongoing.

"Luckily St John's got the pads on quickly, another friend who sits next to me came over and we gave the guy a shock through the defibrillator. He was quite fortunate because very quickly an intensive care doctor and cardiologist arrived and we were able to bring him back."

Ginola champions CPR & defibrillator response

Former Newcastle, Spurs and France winger David Ginola, who suffered a cardiac arrest during a charity match in 2016, admitted that it felt "weird" to have been present for the incident.

Ginola also championed the essential need for readily accessible defibrillators and that knowing how to perform CPR is crucial in everyday life.

"It is vital," he told Sky Sports. "It is vital, and I hope that the man or the woman is going to be fine. But it brings back some very weird memories.

"I think the defibrillator helps massively. I think the people in the stands being able to perform CPR helps massively. At the end of the day, we should all be able to perform CPR."

Ginola added: "This is what saved my life, in the words of the surgeons who operated on me and did a full bypass.

"He said that he had done his job but that he hadn't saved my life. The one who saves your life is the one next to you on the football pitch. I was dead for 12 minutes."

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