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A West Ham supporter who protected his fellow fans from a bunch of Dutch hooligans has been left paralysed after suffering a stroke.
Shocking scenes of violence erupted in the stands following the Hammers' Europa Conference League win over AZ Alkmaar in May when a group of Dutch ultras stormed the away section of the AFAS Stadion looking for a fight. Videos went viral of several heroic West Ham fans keeping the hooligans at bay, including one known as 'Knollsy'.
Another brave Irons supporter, known as 'Green T-Street' after being seen fighting off AZ fans in a green top, is now in hospital after having a stroke at work. The unidentified individual has a young family and a group of well-wishers have set up a donation page to help cover his medical bills.
READ MORE: Hero West Ham fan Knollsy breaks silence on Alkmaar chaos and says 'I just did my best'
READ MORE: West Ham hero Knollsy immortalised as WWE action figure – and it's selling for over £300
A target of £50,000 has been set to "purchase the rehabilitation care and equipment required" as well as to ensure the "financial stability of his young family". At the time of writing, just over £13,000 has been raised.
The entry read: "It’s Just three months on from his heroic act during West Ham’s semi-final vs AZ Alkmaar. The mysterious legend in the green t-shirt has found himself in a life-changing situation.
Donate to the JustGiving page here.
"While out working, he suffered a stroke. It comes with great sadness and a heavy heart to say that this great, strong man is now paralysed on the right side of his body and it has drastically effected his speech." They added that doctors were "confident" that with the right care and support he would get back full health, though that could take months or even years.
Describing his heroics, the page read: "The AZ Alkmaar ultras broke through a fence and began what can only be described as a potentially brutal attack on a small contingent of West Ham family members and fans. He never took a backwards step and held off the onslaught almost single-handedly.
How should clubs like AZ be punished when their fans act so irresponsibly? Let us know in the comments section below.
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"He is the family's rock and the breadwinner. He has a long and hard road ahead. Starting with getting him home with his family and then a lengthy spell of rehabilitation to try and get him walking and talking again."
Knollsy, who was seen performing similar heroics in the stands that day, was dubbed 'the Angel of Alkmaar' after being swatting away swathes of fans as they tried to get into the away section, which was housing family and friends of some of the West Ham players.
- Donate to the JustGiving page here.
- West Ham FC
- Premier League
- Europa Conference League
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