Dereham Town defender given all-clear after nasty injury

The Magpies defender was knocked unconscious after colliding with team-mate and goalkeeper Ross Bilham during their 3-0 victory over Great Yarmouth Town in the Norfolk Senior Cup on Wednesday night.

He has been a regular for Dereham in league and cup this season, making 17 appearances in total.

A club statement read: “After passing concussion protocols, it was clear to our medical team that Chris was in no state to continue so returned to the dressing room.

“An ambulance was called after he continued to deteriorate once returning inside.

“During the 40 minutes whilst waiting for an ambulance, Chris struggled with his movement and breathing. We must thank Joey Greenslade, assistant manager and Chris’ brother, and Micah Gerdes, our club physio, for supporting Chris during a difficult time.

“They were then joined by paramedics who decided to take Chris to the James Paget Hospital for further assessment, where he was stabilised and took the precaution of keeping him overnight.

“Subsequent scans have shown Chris has concussion and is still feeling the effects of the collision but is on the road to recovery.”

On the incident, Magpies boss Tom Parke said: “It was a concerning incident for us all to experience but we are glad that Chris has returned home.

“He has been a vital part of our side this season but, above all, is a really good human being who is loved by everyone at Dereham Town.

“We look forward to welcoming Chris back to the side and will be supporting him fully in the next stages of his recovery.”

Photo credit: Dereham Town