Wolves fan who suffered heart attack at match donates £1,000 to hospital that saved him

Once admitted, he spent a week on the cardiology and cardiothoracic wards before undergoing cardiac bypass surgery at John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.

Ian – who has since made a full recovery – has thanked the staff at The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust who saved his life by presenting them with a £1,000 cheque to spend on staff wellbeing and team building.

Dedicated Ian has been a Wolves fan for 60 years and even travels from his home in Oxford to attend home matches.

He said: "By the time their second goal went in I was going downhill, rapidly becoming so seriously unwell that I was unable to even raise a hand to seek assistance.

"Thankfully, people around me saw my distress and came quickly to help. I cannot thank my fellow fans enough, especially my seat neighbour Clive and the stewards and medical staff at Molineux for their kind and prompt assistance.

"The match had not gone well and early departing crowds delayed the ambulance I was in. But very soon I was on my way to New Cross Hospital and put on the path to open-heart bypass surgery.

"Meanwhile, my mates from Oxford, Joe and Max, who had travelled up with me, heroically tracked me down and came to the hospital to pray for my recovery.

"The nurses, doctors and all the staff in cardiology at New Cross were absolutely amazing. I’m so grateful for their kindness and consideration, especially since I was seriously ill and some distance from home and family."

Alongside the generous donation, he also asked Diane Pullinger, who was senior sister on the cardiothoracic ward at the time and her colleague, Parvey Kaur, to accompany him at Molineux for the final game of the season.

Having been a season ticket holder in the Billy Wright Stand for around 20 years, Ian had an extra treat in store for the pair, who watched a talk from former Wolves manager Dave Jones and took pictures on the pitch and in the dugout.

Diane said: "We're very grateful to Ian, firstly for allowing us to be his guests at the match and for donating this sum of money.

"This is something that both wards will benefit from given the number of new stuff in the last 12 months.

"I’ve attended games since I was a child with my dad and brother – the day was amazing. We both really enjoyed meeting up with Ian and seeing he had recovered and looked so well.

"The atmosphere was great, and with it being the last home match of the season, the players completed a lap of appreciation on the pitch after the game with their families so we were able to show our thanks."