Football Daily | How CPR on a seagull helped restore moral goodness to Turkish football

7 hours ago 11

A VISIT FROM DR FEELGOOD

It’s not been the best time for Turkish football in recent months, what with the suspension of 149 match officials and more than 1,000 players relating to a betting scandal. Ouch. But events in a seventh-tier match at the weekend brought some much-needed moral goodness back to the game there when a player revived a seagull that had been struck down by a flying ball. Yep, you read that right. Let’s start at the beginning shall we. Istanbul Yurdum Spor goalkeeper Muhammed Uyanik picked the ball up in the 22nd minute of a fierce battle with Mevlanakapi Guzelhisar, with the winner taking home the league title. Seeing no short options available, he went route one, pinging the ball high into the air only to see his clearance thud against a low-flying gull that spiralled in the air like a downed fighter-jet before dropping to the floor with a sickening thud.

Now, in Football Daily’s amateur heyday, we’d have expected that loose ball to be pounced on by a grizzled, pot-bellied midfielder looking to gain an advantage (ahem, not us of course). But Turkish amateur football is clearly a place for more kind-hearted tough-tackling types. In scenes that would have brought joy to the heart of the chief suit of the RSPB, Istanbul’s bearded captain, Gani Catan, ignored the ball and rushed to help the stricken bird – and in a jaw-dropping moment he took to performing CPR. “It was a reflex reaction,” he told Turkish media. As concerned players from both sides gathered around him, Catan pumped away at the chest of the prone bird. And while less-committed good samaritans may have given up the ghost after seeing no immediate signs of life, Istanbul Yurdum Spor’s skipper went at it for a good while, eventually being rewarded with a flicker in the injured animal’s eyes and a twitch of its webbed feet.

Catan, who remarkably has no medical training and probably hasn’t even watched Channel 4’s hit TV show Supervet, then rolled the bird into the recovery position before scooping it up like a loving parent and delivering it to a concerned coach on the sidelines. The match then continued with Catan’s team going on to lose the title-deciding match in a tense penalty shootout. “We missed out on the championship, but it’s a wonderful thing to have helped save a life,” said the heroic midfielder, who is surely a shoo-in for the World Football Compassion Cup after not only reviving a life, but also the soul of Turkish football. “This was more important than the championship.” Reports suggest the gull is alive but still unable to fly as it recovers from a damaged wing. And yes, it has been a slow news day.

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It bothers me that Vinícius’s celebration is being used against him. Viní didn’t do anything bad. He celebrated the same way many rivals have celebrated against us. It happened, and we can’t justify a suspected act of racism because of a celebration. I think we have to be less stupid as a society” – Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois gives his views on the treatment of his teammate before the second leg of their playoff. Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni has denied racially abusing Vinícius Jr but has been handed a one-game provisional ban by Uefa.

Thibaut Courtois and Vinicius Jr in training on Tuesday.

Sorry it’s a bit late, but have been away for a week and just caught Ken Muir’s letter regarding Invergordon FC and their league win possibly relating to a close distillery (Football Daily letters, 17 February). It reminded me instantly of a summer long ago when I and fellow members of Thames Ditton Wanderers CC undertook a tour of Yorkshire. Our first game was against Tadcaster and their captain invited us for a pre-match lunch and tour of the Sam Smiths Brewery. Our team of various waifs and strays from around the commonwealth accepted the hospitality provided in the tap room. Needless to say the home side enjoyed a comfortable win. Has this tactic ever been more successful at a higher sporting level?” – Mark Bennett.

Not wishing to turn this into an English language pedants column [bit late for that – Football Daily Ed], but … in yesterday’s letters, Charles Antaki responded to David Bolam’s criticism of the phrase ‘centred around’. Just below, David Livesy used tautology when describing himself as an ‘unmarried bachelor’. This may be diverting the column from being centred around/on football but felt a compelling urge to point this out” – James Harvey.

Yikes! If Barry Glendenning included himself in the ‘universal admiration and [liking of]’ James Milner, then his views on players less difficult-to-hate must be borderline unprintable. It can’t be easy being paid millions to play five minutes of football once or twice a week, Barry” – Rowan Sweeney.

If you have any, please send letters to [email protected]. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day winner is … Mark Bennett. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.