THE football family has rallied around Slough Town goalkeeper Mark Scott after a broken neck has threatened to end his career.

Scott shattered the C6 vertebrae at the base of his neck following an accidental collision with Basingstoke player Nana Owusu in the 3-2 win at Arbour Park on Saturday.

He underwent a number of tests and scans at Wexham Park Hospital before being transferred to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, where he underwent surgery on Monday.

The football club opened a Crowdfunder page the same day to raise funds for Scott during his recovery period and over £5,600 has already been raised for the accountant.

“Where we are right now is incredible and beyond our expectations,” Slough Town general manager John Porter told the Observer. “We’re not finished yet and would urge people to continue to donate and support Mark on his journey of recovery.

“As soon as Mark’s injury was confirmed following scans on Sunday, the realisation of what this would mean for him and his family became clear.

“The club and supporters pulled together with a strong desire to make sure we support Mark during the difficult time.

“As a result, the Crowdfunding page went live and the level of support and wide spectrum of people donating has been phenomenal.

“Mark is overwhelmed and cannot express is thanks enough.

“Out of a terrible injury to a young man playing the sport he loves the crowdfunding shows the strength and compassion of the football club, our amazing supporters and the greater football family.

“We of course will support Mark throughout his recovery and wish to thank all those who have donated.”

Slough Observer:

PHOTO: Mark Scott shattered his C6 vertebrae following an accidental collision with Nana Owusu on Saturday.

Scott was released from the John Radcliffe Hospital on Thursday and is now recovering at his home in Camberley.

Commenting on Scott’s injury and his possible future as a player, Slough joint-manager Neil Baker said: “I think the reality of what has happened has started to hit him. He’s been quite upset at times.

“But, the football family has rallied around him and taken one of his concerns off the table, the financial side, and it’s great from his point of view.

“Mark will be in a neck brace for the next six weeks and maybe longer depending on how the bones fuse together.

“They’ve definitely not told him he can’t play again but there’s always an element of doubt with such a serious injury.

“The mental side might prove to be a problem for him, but that’s a long way off yet and there are other things to think about first.”

On the injury suffered to Scott, Porter added: "It really came out of the blue in the context of the match and a was an unfortunate accident. There certainly was no malice or blame.

"When Mark initially went down it was not apparent what the injury was, but as often in football, you can tell a lot by the reactions of the players and they were trying to get the physios onto the pitch as quickly as possible.

"It soon became clear that this was a serious injury and the mood within Arbour Park changed noticeably.

"Out of what was a difficult situation special mention must be given to both clubs’ physiotherapists, Kevin McGoldrick (Slough) and Kelly Rutledge (Basingstoke). Their expertise in their duties and especially the immobilisation of Mark was key in preventing spinal cord damage.

"I'm extremely grateful and proud for the way that all club staff, volunteers, stewards and Slough Borough Council switched into “autopilot” to deal with the incident quickly and calmly."

To make a donation use the link: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/supporting-mark-scott-after-breaking-his-neck/