Hero Ravanelli

By: Tony Hamilton
Date: 17/08/2002

IT was revealed tonight that after the first half injury to Steve Livingstone, Derby striker Fabrizio Ravanelli wanted the game to be stopped and pleaded with the referee to call the match off as Livingstone lay unconscious on the ground.

The Rams won the game 2-1 with two strikes from Adam Bolder. Livvo was taken to hospital in a neck brace and is set to stay in for observation after having a CAT scan on his injury.

Livingstone was knocked unconscious in a clash of heads with Rams' defender Danny Higginbotham, and needed treatment on the pitch for 15 minutes by the emergency services, before being rushed to Grimsby hospital in an ambulance. Livingstone later regained consciousness but was suffering from laboured breathing and was bleeding from an ear after going down in the sickening collision, which resulted in nearly 15 minutes of first half injury time.

The Gaffer Paul Groves when asked about the incident commented: "It was one of the worst sights I have seen in football. It must have been a severe bang for a big lad like Steve to be down like that."

Groves went on to say: "Ravanelli pleaded with the referee to have the game called off. Derby's first-team coach Billy McEwan said the Derby player involved in the incident, Danny Higginbotham, had been "upset" by the incident.

"He is a bit upset but these things happen. There was nothing malicious in the challenge. It is a contact sport."

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