Pitchside defibrillators: Jersey FA want more

Defibrllator at Jersey Rugby Club Picture: DAVID FERGUSON

The governing body’s search comes in the wake of an incident at Euro 2020, when Denmark’s Christian Eriksen suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch.

Luckily for Eriksen, quick reactions of his team-mates, the referee and the instant response from pitchside medical staff ensured his life was saved.

A small number of football clubs and sports venues in Jersey already have defibrillator kits installed, but a handful of JFA Combination clubs do not have access to one.

‘The Eriksen incident was a stark reminder that we need to be prepared for all eventualities in football,’ said JFA chief executive David Kennedy.

‘Locally, we are aware of a number of our clubs who have defibrillators. However, we will be contacting all our member clubs in the near future to map where the gaps may be and from there we will look at local funding streams in order to achieve 100% coverage across all clubs.

‘This has a funding opportunity which is attractive to potential corporate investment.’

Kennedy also pointed out the importance of having people on hand who have received the relevant first aid training, including the use of defibrillators.

‘Football is well-regulated in terms of training,’ he added. ‘All our clubs are Charter Standard, which means all teams have to have an official who has been through first aid training, including CPR. In addition to that, the FA offer a free online defibrillator course which anyone can access.’

Grouville FC, Rozel Rovers and St Ouen FC are among those with defibrillators installed at their home pitches, while Jersey Wanderers have access to one in Jersey Rugby Club’s car park.

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