Bournemouth vs Luton abandoned after Tom Lockyer collapses on pitch
- Tom Lockyer collapsed on the field shortly before the hour mark
- Luton defender had heart surgery after collapsing in last season's play-off final
- The score was tied at 1-1 when referees halted play
By Tom Gott
Saturday's meeting between Bournemouth and Luton Town has been abandoned after Hatters defender Tom Lockyer collapsed on the pitch.
Shortly before the hour mark, with the score tied at 1-1, Lockyer collapsed away from any other players, sparking an immediate response from medical officials, and he was eventually stretchered off the pitch.
Officials made the decision to suspend the game and lead the players down the tunnel and, after nearly half an hour, the match was abandoned altogether.
According to Sky Sports News, the Bournemouth doctor has since confirmed that 29-year-old Lockyer is "alert and responsive".
"We all hope and pray for our leader and captain Tom Lockyer, who is thankfully responsive and has been taken to hospital," Luton said in a statement.
"We don’t know the full extent of what happened and what the next steps are at this stage, but we thank Bournemouth and the medical staff on both sides for their immediate response, which was absolutely amazing.
"We are sorry to all supporters present that players from both sides were in no state of mind to continue with the game after seeing their much-loved team-mate and friend taken off like that, and staff could not carry on with managing the game in such circumstances having had to deal with the situation.
"We thank everyone for the wonderful applause and singing of Locks’ name inside the stadium at such a difficult time. Now is the time for all of our players, staff and supporters to come together as we always do and give our love and support to Tom and his family."
Lockyer previously collapsed on the pitch during last season's Championship play-off final, after which he underwent heart surgery.
"I've had the operation to fix it and it shouldn't happen again," he told the BBC. "There's not really any reason to say why that happened.
"I've been given the all-clear - it is what it is and I just want to draw a line under it now and move on.
"I've had my full heart checked and double checked with all the scans and tests they can do on a heart, and they've all come back positive."