A teenage footballer who died after collapsing on the pitch was not given immediate life support because staff missed vital signs of a heart attack, a coroner has warned. He was rushed to Harefield Hospital in Uxbridge where he died a few days later after suffering unsurvivable brain damage. She added: 'Agonal breathing was poorly recognised by the call handler and it should be recognised as a feature consistent with cardiac arrest. 'She (the call handler) should have recognised either agonal breathing, cardiac arrest or abnormal breathing and should have been giving basic life support instructions.' The coroner also called for the FA to make sudden cardiac arrest training mandatory for 'at least one person' on the football pitch, particularly coaches and referees.

Source: Daily Mail March 11, 2026 18:47 UTC