Interview With Stroke City Founder, Jerry Byford

Could you please describe to the readers how events unfolded two years ago and explain what you went through during the course of the day?

I had had a funny turn, felt faint etc a month before my stroke.

I came off my blood pressure tablets.

Then I woke up on a Monday, felt disconnected from clear consciousness.

My left shoulder had visibly dropped, my left eye was drooping.

My speech was there but hard to find… I drove to the Drs…not recommended… and by the time she came out to the waiting room where I was the only patient, I couldn’t get up.

My left leg had no feeling.

She called an ambulance.

From leaving my house to the ambulance was 20 mins and then to hospital another 10.

Treated within 45 mins.

What advice would you give to someone if they felt anything similar and what is the importance of the term FAST?

If in doubt ring 999. Face, arm, speech…telephone 999.

It works. Speed is a key weapon in preventing damage.

It sounds like due to your decision to go straight to the doctors, their fast thinking and the quick administration of the drug thrombolysis at the hospital, all these factors helped minimize the effects of the stroke.

Can you describe what your physical condition was in the following days and months?

Not sure about the thrombolysis.

I know my colleague said I‘d had it. I had no idea what was going on.

The Dr, hospital, consultants were amazing.

As always in my experience, if you are having a serious illness the NHS is there. Amazing.

Physically I was ok. I was weak down my left side, exhausted. In the months that followed I slept: for hours and hours.

I did one thing, such as 30 mins neuro-therapy and then slept again.

I couldn’t process more than one thing, crossing roads was hard.

I couldn’t have one thing on such as a radio or tv and do anything else.

Forgot some things such as having the gas on or shutting the front door if going out. Couldn’t visualise i.e “imagine that”…nope.

Reading was almost impossible as it was so exhausting.

Still struggling to read fiction, yet I was an English teacher for 30 years who read 3 books a day.

I alphabetised everything.

Had a ‘discussion’ with the Chinese takeaway about why the menu wasn’t in alphabetical order.

Rearranged the whole kitchen into alphabetical order.

Couldn’t do restaurants with music on. Couldn’t get on an escalator…blah blah blah. Couldn’t drive for 15 months.

Still get Stroke head tired which is a little like dementia. Pills for life.

Is Walking Football suitable for someone that has only had a mild stroke? For example you reacted fast and received treatment quickly.

What about someone who was not so lucky and was left in a position where they could not walk or talk following their stroke? Could they ever have the opportunity to play one day?

They can all play.

We have a partially sighted player, two who had over 6 months in hospital, one who couldn’t walk at all at first, two who couldn’t speak at all, 5 or 6 with Aphrasia, a couple with seizure history.

One of the guys has had a stroke within the last year, most between 2 and 5, some over 5 years ago.

Once the physio stops, the neuro stops…contact the local Stroke Association and find out if there are groups to get involved with.

Start your own team.

How did you get into playing Walking Football in the first place? Was it part of your rehabilitation or did you find your way into this another way?

We just talked football a lot at coffee. We found our own way in.

It has become rehabilitation but it didn’t start like that or have that aim.

The aim was to have fun.

There were no targets, no objectives and very few goals!! I’d had enough of ticking boxes in teaching.

What made you decide to form a Walking Football team of stroke survivors, and can you tell the readers how this all came about including where your team’s name came from?

We always talked football at our coffee mornings. I had an idea.

It started with the name Stroke City. It got a laugh.

We had to put it to use!

I went and saw a few local facilities supported by the local Stroke Association representative the superb, David Mannion, and settled on the local college and their great manager, Jay Carter.

Bettesworths the estate agents have sponsored our kit which I think looks great: personalised badge, a phoenix rising from the flames surrounding a football. Their support has been truly belittling. Wonderful.

How long now has Stroke City been playing Walking Football?

Nearly 5 months.

How many times a week do you take part in Walking Football sessions?

Once. For an hour.

We play on astro-turf or sometimes indoors if it’s pelting down.

Describe the feelings both you and the Stroke City team players have when playing a game of Walking Football?

We laugh a lot.

Obviously we feel achievement and proud of each other. We feel a team. It has certainly empowered us. (The guys will kill me for that)

What one or two things do you currently do in your training sessions that you think are important to avoid injury, especially when taking into consideration you and the players have survived a stroke?

We ban over head-height, we restrict the distance that you can shoot from to force more passing and less travel of the ball.

We minimise contact so there is tackling but not pushing.

We stop the game immediately if anyone loses balance.

What advice can you give to Walking Football players who are 50+ to help maintain their health in addition to playing Walking Football?

Drink water.

To avoid a Stroke…read the Stroke Association literature.

Since you have started playing Walking Football, can you describe how you feel now and what differences it has made health wise?

I feel very proud of the team.

I feel even prouder that they would carry on without me, or the Stroke Association, because they want to.

I’m stronger. Some of the team are walking better.

We have improved mobility, awareness of position, better stamina.

Have you had any injuries playing and if so what were they?

Have you played against Mark?! Bruises. Bruises.

One of our players fell by treading on the ball, broke his arm, the arm he has no feeling in so he didn’t know.

He got up said he was ok, drove home and ended up in hospital for two weeks with a blood infection.

That was the worst. He’s back playing now!

Do you always have a club member present who has had first aid training at your games and training sessions, and is there a defibrillator available if needed?

The centre staff where we play are all trained first aiders.

There is a defibrillator.

Can you tell the readers about the Stroke City cheerleaders and how they were formed?

Ha ha. The SeaGals. Well they did it on the sneek.

I think it was probably born in the pub.

All are younger women who have had strokes.

I walked ‘Step Out For Stroke’ with Sue who is incredible and got to know Shirley in Brain Injury group.

They worked out a chant and a dance.

Hilarious. I wish I ‘d had some sparklers for them to wave as we came on, can’t afford proper flames.

 What do you like most about Walking Football?

It’s genuinely fun.

There is skill, there is competition.

There is a ball. I’m rubbish at running just for its own sake but I’ll chase a ball for hours.

TBH I can do it, that’s enough in itself.

What do you like least about Walking Football?

At first it was frustrating to play a through ball no one could get to…but I did that in running football too.

What advice would you give to someone who would like to play but is nervous about approaching a club or attending a Walking Football session for the first time?

It has been the friendliest most welcoming sport I have ever played.

I think that there are a lot of like minded people playing.

I’d say go along and I am not the most confident at that…cue all the team laughing, but it’s true.

I think when you have had a stroke it makes you more direct, keener to just get things done. It has me.

I have started to ignore obstacles, become more difficult…or that might be my age!

What do your friends and family think about you playing a sport again following your stroke?

They love it.

You recently had your first competitive match at the Paignton Academy. Who did you play and can you provide us with a match summary?

We played Plymouth younger men’s Stroke Assocation group.

We lost 4-3. Still sulking about that.

They were less ‘strokified’ than us, honest.

It was more competitive than we thought it would be.

And they brought on a keeper with one leg for a few minutes, see pics, and we just couldn’t shoot at him. Morally we won.

If someone reading this who has suffered from a stroke, what words of inspiration could you offer them to take the plunge and attend a Walking Football session?

Taken from a Facebook post.

“My friend participates in this every Friday! I can tell you that since he’s been playing football, the progress he’s made in his mobility and health has been absolutely incredible!

He’s even started doing things with the arm he couldn’t move and he doesn’t even realise!

Make sure … knows how good a job he’s doing and that we need more people like him!! X”

What are your goals for the future when playing Walking Football?

We want to play at the Brittania in front of Stoke fans. Just one chant in support of us would make our lives. We aim to encourage other Stroke Walking Football teams to form. We aim for a regional tournament supported by the FA.

 I understand you have already secured club sponsors, would you like to give them a plug before we finish?

Yes BETTESWORTHS! The guys there have been the nicest, the most generous, the most supportive.

Anything else you’d like to share?

If your readers can bear it there’s an article on Devon Live website called ‘Come On You Potterers’.

http://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/come-you-potterers-how-stroke-494110

There is, also on the web, a BBC Radio Devon interview on the ‘David Fitzgerald’ show Monday 25th September that starts after 2hrs and 11 mins.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p05f5zjv

And anyone who wants to play us or wants to get in touch…happy for you to pass on contact info or seek out David Mannion Torbay Stroke Association Representative.


On behalf of WalkingFootball.com I would like to thank you for taking the time to provide us with your answers to these questions.

Best regards and well done for what you have achieved Jerry – You and everyone at Stroke City are an inspiration.

Come on the Potterers!