An 82 year-old football referee - believed to be the oldest ref in Greater Manchester - collapsed with a suspected heart attack just five minutes into a game he was officiating.
The manager of a Stockport-based team playing on an adjoining pitch saved Eric Mann's life at the scene by giving him CPR then using a defibrillator he carries with him for all games, witnesses said.
Eric is hugely respected as a 'grassroots legend' of the amateur football scene in Greater Manchester and the wider north west region. He's well-known for handing players a baby's dummy when they challenge decisions he makes on the pitch, helping to diffuse emotions with laughter.
