Rocks favourite Crane gets funding boost for shoulder op

Defender James Crane could be back in contention for the Rocks sooner than feared after the instant success of a fundraising campaign to pay for surgery.
James Crane is taken off on a stretcher after dislocating his shoulder last SeptemberJames Crane is taken off on a stretcher after dislocating his shoulder last September
James Crane is taken off on a stretcher after dislocating his shoulder last September

Crane dislocated his shoulder during Bognor's 2-2 home draw with Gloucester in September and has not played since as he awaits an op on the troublesome joint.

A matter of days ago a JustGiving page went live asking for Rocks supporters to help raise the funds for Crane, who would face a long wait for the surgery on the stretched NHS.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The Rocks are to fund half of the operation costs but the rest - £1,000 - was the subject of the crowd-funding appeal. Now, the generosity of the fans had already raised £1,220 as of Tuesday afternoon.

One anonymous donor gave £500 for the cause and said: "It’s the least we as fans could do."

Crane, who has played more than 400 games for Bognor, and has been a big miss for the club this season as they have struggled for wins in National League South. They have used a variety of different players in his position.

His injury made headlines in the autumn when it was mentioned in the House of Commons as part of a debate about ambulance response times. He waited 90 minutes at the ground for an ambulance before being taken to hospital by car.

A fundraising campaign organiser said: "The initial prognosis was quite positive but James now cannot play football again until he has had an arthroscopy stabilisation to correct his shoulder.”