David Ginola asserts importance of learning CPR after Newcastle vs Tottenham stoppage
David Ginola has stressed the importance of learning CPR after Newcastle vs Tottenham was halted due to a medical emergency in the crowd.
Play was stopped in the 41st minute with the players eventually returning to their dressing rooms while the affected supporter was treated in St James' Park east stand.
"It is vital."
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 17, 2021
David Ginola discusses the importance of having equipment like defibrillators at football stadiums after play was halted at St James Park in the 41st minute due to a medical emergency in stands. pic.twitter.com/mRlz2DjyUv
After a brief stoppage the spectator was stabilised and taken to hospital, allowing both teams to emerge for the remainder of the second half.
Ginola - who was working as a pundit on the game - spent the break in play asserting the importance of learning CPR to viewers.
It is a subject he is passionate about after he suffered a heart attack during a charity game back in 2016 and had to receive on-field treatment from fellow ex-professional Frederic Mendy.
"[Defibrillators are] vital and I hope the man or the woman is going to be fine," he said in the Sky Sports studio.
"It brings back some very weird memories. I've just been talking to the lads saying I haven't been back in this country doing that [punditry] for years and you come back to the game and you have a heart attack in the stadium. It's a bit weird.
"We were watching a good game of football and all of a sudden everything is stopped with that. As you said, having a defibrillator helps massively.
"I think people in the stands as well being able to perform CPR helps massively because waiting for the defibrillator you need to be able to perform CPR.
"At the end of the day we should all be able to perform CPR to help each other.
"This is what saved my life - those were the words of the surgeons who operated on me, performed the bypass. 'I have done my job but I didn't save your life. The ones who saved your life were next to you on the football pitch'.
"They did it [CPR] for 12 minutes and I was dead for 12 minutes. It is very important because otherwise your brain will be damaged.
"Sometimes people don't want to hurt you so they are light on the pressure but you need to go very deep - it doesn't matter if you break ribs. When you learn how to do it, it's impressive because your very strong on the body. This is the key."