Revealed: Full horror of attack on football fan Nic Cruwys after Wolves game is caught on video

Mr Cruwys, aged 44 at the time of the match on March 7 last year, suffered serious head injuries when he was set upon in Littles Lane after the Wolves against Watford Championship game at Molineux, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

Such was the extent of Mr Cruwys' head and brain injuries that his wife Jodie was told by medics that he may not survive.

Brief footage shown to the court shows Mr Cruwys being set upon and falling to the floor, where he is kicked.

Members of the public can then be seen coming to his aid.

Joseph Lister, of Palmer Close, Wednesfield, and Daniel Lloyd, of Longfellow Road, Sedgley, both aged 19, and a 16-year-old who cannot be identified because of his age pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm at Wolverhampton Crown court on Thursday.

Ryan Meer, 19, of Watling Street, Gailey, pleaded guilty to affray and Robert Beech, also 19, of Springhill Road, Wednesfield, admitted threatening behaviour. They had all previously denied causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Sentencing will take place in September.

The court heard how father of two, Mr Cruwys was with friends on their way to The Blue Brick pub, near the railway station, for a drink before catching the 6pm train home.

But they were confronted by between 15 and 20 youths waiting on a grassy verge just outside Carvers builders merchants.

The travelling supporters were set upon and Mr Cruwys was left in a pool of blood on the ground as the gang weighed in with kicks and punches.The brutal attack left him in a coma for weeks.

Speaking of her husband's injuries following the attack, Jodie Cruwys, 39, of Hemel Hempstead, said: "Just from going to that football match, his life and my life was changed completely.

"The doctors told me initially that they didn't think he would survive. But with the help of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and charity Headway in Hertfordshire he has been able to recover. But it has been a long journey. It's the little things that you take for granted that have changed – like I always have to remind Nic to check he's got his keys, his wallet and everything before he goes out the house, which I never had to do before.

"I think the most difficult thing for Nic is that he looks so good that people just assume he's made a full recovery, when in fact he still has to live with the result of the attack every day.

"That's why its so important to raise awareness of brain injuries, because they're so hidden, invisible, that people don't expect it when symptoms emerge. It puts Nic under a lot of pressure too – people expect him to be fine because he looks fine, when in fact he's still on the road to recovery."

Doctors had suggested that Nic would have great problems in communication, as the part of the brain that was damaged in the attack was responsible for speech.

"Nic's speech is surprisingly fine," Mrs Cruwys added, "The only thing he has problems with is word retrieval – for example, looking at an object and trying to describe it or thinking of the right word to describe a situation, things like that.

"Doctors warned us that Nic would experience a whole cycle of emotions when he was recovering, and he really has, though I think we as a family have too." Nic's determination to continuing living a normal life is often pitted with frustration though, according to his wife. Mrs Cruwys said: "I know it frustrates him that he hasn't been able to return to work or drive.

"But he's done so incredibly well, we're all so proud of what he's achieved.

"We just want to make more people aware of the work the QE and Headway do in supporting people and families with brain injuries,"

The couple held a fundraising event on July 31 at Hemel Hempstead Town FC. They raised the funds for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital and Headway Hertfordshire.