LIGHTNING

Lightning certainly struck in Florida last night as England’s match against Honduras on June 7th 2014, was suspended for 40 minutes when a “sub tropical” storm passed over the Sun Life stadium in Miami. This interrupted the pre World Cup friendly and assured that England would not strike accurately and they could only draw with their Central American opponents, 0-0. Honduras' Beckeles was sent off for a second yellow after 65 mins. It was fiesty and hot game disrupted by the lightning storm at most 2 miles from the stadium.

In 1998, a game in South Africa between Moroko Swallows & Jomo Cosmos was suddenly interrupted by a blast of lightning striking the pitch, sending players and supporters from both sides scattering. Two Swallows players were kept in hospital with their injuries, whilst the game was understandably abandoned.

In the same year a match in the Democratic Republic of Congo between Bena Tshadi & Basanga in the Eastern Province of Kasai ended in tragedy when a lightning strike killed eleven players, leaving thirty others seriously injured. Football can be a less important matter than life and death.

In 1967, Highgate FC, from the Midland League, played Enfield in the quarter-finals of the FA Amateur Cup. Midway through the first half, which was being played in heavy rain, a lightning strike saw several players collapse. One player, the Highgate centre half Tony Allden, did not recover consciousness and died the next day in hospital. Local professional club, Aston Villa, agreed to host the replay of the game concerned. They donated a new set of Aston Villa kit to Highgate United to use in the replayed match, which ended with a 6–0 victory for Enfield. This game drew an attendance of some 31,000 at Villa Park. He is remembered by the Midland Combination's Charity Shield cup competition, the Tony Allden Memorial Cup.

Yesterday evening, in Blackpool, at the the Spirit of Youth Junior FC ground, 9 year old Jordan Banks, who was not a member of the club, was enjoying a casual football kickabout, when lightning struck at the local Common Edge playing field. He was rushed to hospital but sadly passed away. Jordan played for a nearby club, Clifton Rangers, and was an inspiration to everyone he met.

Please look up on one the many reliable websites, what to do if you and others are caught outside in a thunderstorm/lightning storm, especially if you are near a football match.