BBC football commentator Rob Phillips has revealed he suffered a heart attack shortly after covering Bolton Wanderers' home match against Cardiff City earlier this month.
The veteran Welsh broadcaster had just completed his post-match interview with Cardiff boss Brian Barry-Murphy when he began experiencing severe chest pains. Phillips was working alongside former Cardiff City striker Nathan Blake for the lunchtime kick-off at the Toughsheet Community Stadium, where Bolton snatched a late 1-0 victory.
After going pitchside to speak to Barry-Murphy following the final whistle, Phillips returned to the press box to send his interview to the BBC sports desk. It was then that he began to feel unwell.
Blake's intervention proves crucial
Phillips initially told Blake that he would be fine and could make the journey home by car. But Blake, who recognised that something was wrong, refused to let him leave the stadium.
"When I got back to the press box to send the interview over, I had severe chest pains," Phillips said on BBC Radio Wales. "I said to Nath, 'Oh, look, I'll be fine, we'll drive back and get home.' He said, 'Look, Rob, you've lost all your colour. You're not going anywhere. I'm not going in a car with you on the M6 in that state!'"
Blake then contacted his former Bolton team-mate John McGinlay, who helped arrange for Phillips to be seen by the club doctor, David Humphreys. Phillips said he was taken to the doctor's room, where he was told he could be having a heart attack.
Treatment at Wythenshawe Hospital
"And there I was, laughing and joking about things, in a bit of pain, I have to say," he recalled. "And within an hour or so I was on a theatre table and they had a pipe going up my arm, sorted out my heart and unblocked the artery with what they call a balloon."
Phillips, who received treatment at Wythenshawe Hospital, has since revealed the incident publicly and has been inundated with messages from well-wishers after the BBC shared his story on social media.
The commentator, one of the most recognisable voices in Welsh football, has worked on Cardiff matches for many years and is also known to football supporters across Wales through his BBC Radio Wales work.
Support and gratitude
Phillips paid tribute to Blake and McGinlay for acting so quickly when he became unwell. He even managed to find some humour in the frightening experience. "The moral of the tale is if you are going to have a heart problem like I had, have it in a football club."
The intervention of Blake, himself a former Cardiff player, could prove to have been crucial. Rather than allowing Phillips to make the journey home, he recognised the seriousness of his condition and made sure medical attention was sought at the stadium.
Phillips' revelation has prompted an outpouring of support from football supporters, with messages wishing the veteran broadcaster well and praising Blake for ensuring he received treatment quickly. One supporter wrote: "Credit to Blakey for not letting it go and ensuring Rob received medical care as fast as possible." Another added: "So glad you're OK Rob." A further message read: "Glad to see you are on the mend."
Phillips' account also highlighted the speed with which he was treated after being assessed by the Bolton medical team, with the commentator saying he was on an operating table within around an hour.
Speaking on the podcast he hosts with the former Bluebirds, Bolton and Wales striker, Rob and Blakey's Commentary Box, Phillips added: "I want to say thank you publicly to Bolton Wanderers Football Club, club ambassador John McGinlay, doctor David Humphreys, the paramedics, who got me to the hospital with the blue light and sirens, and everyone at Wythenshawe Hospital who were magnificent. And most of all, I want to thank you, Nath."
To which Blake replied: "That's what friends are for." Phillips responded: "I call him my bro and without him I might not even be here. I'm not ashamed to say it - cheers, bro."
