Fan's fatal cardiac arrest disrupts Bolton Wanderers match, club to honor memory
Most of the 28th-round matches of the English League One were slated for Saturday, January 13. However, two of them were disrupted and could not be completed.
3:58 PM EST, January 14, 2024
A comparable incident occurred between Reading FC and Port Vale FC, halted due to disturbances. In contrast, the Bolton Wanderers - Cheltenham Town match was disrupted due to the unexpected illness of a fan. Medical staff at the stadium fought to save his life.
Bolton issued an official statement reporting a cardiac arrest in one of their fans. After attempts at resuscitation, he was placed in an ambulance that was on standby at the stadium and moved to the hospital.
On Sunday afternoon, the club officially announced the sad news that their fan, Iain Purslow, who became ill during the match, had passed away. He was 71 years old.
Bolton supports the late fan's family and plans to honor Purslow's memory at their next match. This tribute will take place on Tuesday, January 16, during the replay of the English Cup match against Luton Town.
It remains unclear when the postponed match of the 28th round of League One will be played. Both clubs anticipate a decision from the authorities regarding the rescheduling.
Bolton currently stands in third place in League One, with a promising chance of promotion to a superior league, especially since they've played the fewest games, thus potentially able to rise to the top soon.
