Goals galore as medics take on Wolves All Stars
Hospital staff who took on a team of Wolves All Stars at football were in need of resuscitation themselves after a hard-fought match at Chasetown Football Club.
The gold and black veterans showed they had lost none of their skills as they coasted to a convincing 7-3 victory over a team of heart and lungs medical staff from New Cross Hospital.
The game, part of fun day at the Scholars ground, raised more than £3,000 for the Wolverhampton Coronary Aftercare Support Group which pays for medical equipment and research to treat patients from across the Black Country.
The gates were open three-hours before kick-off as visitors had fun trying out bouncy castles, an assault course, face painting and other activities. Organisers also laid on a range of food and drink. A raffle was also held, with prizes donated by lPure Gym Hednesford, Porsche Wolverhampton and others, bumping up the total.
Among the Wolves All Stars were Mel Eves, Colin Taylor, Andy Turner, Micky Holmes, Jackie Gallagher, Tony Dinning, Dale Rudge, Seyi Olofinjana, Neil Edwards,Paul Jones, Simon Osborne and Jon Purdi.
On the Cardiothoracic Theatres team was the event organiser Christopher Jukes, an operating department practitioner, who also scored two of his teams three goals.
He said afterwards: "I'm absolutely exhausted but it was a great game and good fun. I'm delighted we managed to raise so much money, just over half of it before the event and the rest on the day itself.
"We're very grateful to the All Stars who showed they can still kick a ball. It was so successful that we are hoping to turn it into an annual event."
One of the pieces of equipment the cash will potentially fund is an £80,000 transoesophageal echocardiogram machine, known as a TOE, which measures patients' heart valves. The hospital has two but if all three theatres are in use, the lack of a third holds up surgery.
The Coronary Aftercare Support Group has raised more than £2 million since it was set up in 1985.
