GRAHAM Iley, son of former Bury manager Jim, has finally been able to resume playing for Tempest United after one of the worst injuries I've ever heard of occurring on a football pitch.

Graham had played at Chew Moor alongside elder brother Mark and younger brother Steve (now with Atherton LR), since being a 14-year-old.

Back in October 1994, in a West Lancs League Division Two fixture at home to Norcross and Warbeck, he was simply running upfield when he was struck by an incredible stomach pain. It looked bad and he was taken to Bolton Royal Infirmary.

"I was in there for three days," he explains, "and they just didn't really know what was wrong with me. They suspected it was a blood clot on my lung because all I could tell them was that I was in agony, was having great difficulty breathing and couldn't swallow fluids, never mind solids. "They transferred me to Manchester Royal and still X-rays didn't really determine what was wrong. Then, just by accident, a totally different type of specialist took an interest in my case and he arranged for me to have ultrasound.

"That revealed that I had ruptured my diaphragm and my stomach and spleen had been pushed upwards into my chest cavity. The pain and everything was caused by my stomach pressing up against my lungs.

"The picture showed that virtually everything inside me was upside down and where it shouldn't be. They operated straight away and found that my stomach had been perforated which could have meant it being removed.

"Fortunately the specialist took the gamble that this wasn't necessary and thank goodness he did! They put everything back where it should be and stitched me up again!

"Virtually no one at either hospital had ever heard of the injury - never mind seen and treated it! I was just so lucky that that certain specialist happened along."

At the time, Graham had only been back in Westhoughton for 18 months following a fantastic five-year stint working, and playing football, in the Bahamas, where he met and married his wife Karon.

His hospitalisation was an incredibly worrying and difficult time for Mrs Iley. "It was touch and go as to whether he was going to pull through at one point," she says, "but just when we needed help we got it.

"I just can't praise the people at Tempest United highly enough. Graham and I are contracted to work for the same firm and we don't get paid if we are off. When I had to just sit in the hospital waiting, on top of everything else, I was worrying about how we were going to pay the mortgage and the other bills.

"Then the lads at the football club rallied round, organising fund-raising events and helping me, which was great because not being from round here, I didn't know where anywhere was.

"Every team member down at the club paid in £2 per week which they gave to Graham. They were brilliant, they really were!"

Says Graham: "Money was obviously a big worry but the club has two insurance policies on all the players and that really helped. I just can't thank all the people on the committee, and especially Alan Westhead and Keith Laird, enough.

"The end of season presentation night has always been free for everyone but that year they all decided to pay £3 each per ticket and all that was to help us. In was incredible. Since then, they've kept the weekly contributions going and there is now a fund, over and above the insurance policies, for any player that gets injured!

"Now 18 months on, I've been able to play again, although there is always that worry at the back of my mind because I don't know what caused the injury originally. They said I have have fallen awkwardly or something like that to cause a weakness but I can't remember it if I did.

"It's not like a broken leg where you know the exact cause and that the bone can be reset. With this sort of injury you always have that little wonder about whether you are doing any damage when you take exercise but I've really enjoyed the games I've played and I'll be seeing how it goes!"

Most clubs rally round when a lad get hurt but in this case the efforts were really special.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.