Dirty TackleFirefighter worked on Glasgow helicopter crash rescue then captained Scottish Cup tie side after one hour’s sleep
On Friday evening, a police helicopter crashed into a busy Glasgow pub when the pilot lost control. At the time of writing, nine deaths and 32 casualties have been reported at the site, with the search of the wreckage still continuing.
Not long after the tragic crash at around 10.25pm, a crew of 150 firefighters were on hand to help, one of whom was Frank McKeown, captain of Scottish League One side Stranraer.
The defender worked all through the night until 8am at the scene of the accident, and after just one hour of sleep, he led his side out in their 1-1 draw at Clyde in the Scottish Cup. McKeown spoke to The Guardian:
"What happened didn't sink in until I had left the job," McKeown said. "It was terrible, but I didn't think about pulling out of the game. I was really tired but I wanted to play. Football is a relief after something like that. I just tried to concentrate on the game to take my mind off things.
"When you look at the pictures you think how lucky you are and you appreciate things like being able to go out and play football. I have seen a lot of horrible things in my career but that is one of the worst. My thoughts are with the families of all those involved. The crews that were there did a great job."
The term "hero" is bandied about an awful lot in this game of pampered millionaires relying on their natural talent, but it really should be reserved for folks like Frank McKeown.
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