Express & Star

Our thoughts are with injured fan, says Kenny Jackett as Tomasz Kuszczak backs E&S reward

Wolves boss Kenny Jackett said Nick Cruwys is in the thoughts of everyone at the club.

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Watford-born Jackett, who spent 25 years at his hometown club as player, youth-team coach and first-team coach, said everyone at Molineux was thinking of the 44-year-old milkman.

"Our thoughts are with the lad who was attacked and his family," said the Wolves head coach.

"We have sympathy and we hope the lad recovers and we're very sorry. It's not nice – none of us want anything like that to happen and everybody is thinking about the lad in hospital and the family."

Mr Jackett, 53, is hoping that those responsible are caught by the police as soon as possible.

"I do believe the matter is in the hands of the police and also the police away from the football side of things as well," he said.

"Rightly so as well, because it's a very serious situation and one which we can't comment further on at the moment.

"It will be up to the police to take the whole investigation forward."

Meanwhile, Wolves' former Watford goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak has condemned the attack – welcoming the Express & Star's £1,000 reward for catching those responsible.

Tomasz Kuszczak

Kuszczak, who played in the game against his old club, was upset at hearing the news and urged anyone who knows anything to come forward.

CCTV footage of the attack on Nick Cruwys and a rush of people coming to his aid shows the 'very worst and best' of Wolverhampton, the businessman whose company captured it has said.

Henry Carver has passed to police the footage of the attack outside his firm, Carvers Building Supplies, and said he hopes it convinces the thugs to hand themselves in.

Carvers had closed for the day and locked its gates shortly before fans had left Molineux on Saturday evening, before Mr Cruwys was kicked as he lay on the ground. Mr Carver, president of the Wolverhampton Business Group, said: "What happened was clearly an act of cowardice. The attackers were like a pack of wild dogs.

"Now they may have ruined another man's life and the lives of his family. And they have ruined their own in a moment of madness.

"They must do the decent thing and hand themselves in."

Mr Carver, who has campaigned for measures to improve the reputation of Wolverhampton, said: "What the footage also shows is that far more people came to try to help than were involved in this brutal attack.

"There were people with children who were first on the scene and tended to this man.

"They obviously wanted to help and make sure that he was looked after as well as anyone could be before the emergency services took over.

"I didn't know anything about it until I was told yesterday," said the 32-year-old. "But actions like that should be punished. The sooner these people are found, the better for everyone.

"We're talking about this man's life being under threat and people should be supporting the cause.

"If someone knows anything, they should report it to the police to make sure it never happens again."

Kuszczak believes those responsible should be dealt with severely as a deterrent.

"You don't want see things like this and there need to be consequences.

I'm a big fan that if something happens like that, then the people responsible should be punished.

"It's not about the fact I'm a former Watford player – I'm Polish and my family and kids are here and we feel really safe.

"But my friends and family go to matches too and this can happen to anyone at any time."

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