Beds Bulletin Online November 29 2018

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BEDFORDSHIRE ONLINE EDITION

Thursday November 29, 2018

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FORMER HATTER FORCED INTO EARLY RETIREMENT MeSSageS of support for Save Our town ambassador and former luton town player leon Barnett have been flooding in from the football family after he announced his retirement due to a heart condition.

The 32-year-old defender said this week that his heart rate reached almost 300 beats per minute during his final game for Northampton Town. Barnett grew up in the Runfold area of Doctors told him the condition would by Geoff Cox Luton and played for Bushmead Wanderers. make it “unsafe” for him to continue training and playing.

Luton Town tweeted on its official Twitter page on Monday: “The Hatters are sorry to hear the news about Leon Barnett a Town academy graduate who has gone on to have a fantastic career in the game! We wish him and his family all the best.” Northampton Town tweeted: “We are very sad to announce that defender Leon Barnett has been advised to retire from football because of a heart condition. As a club, we offer our full support to Leon and his family.” More support on social media came from other clubs that Barnett played for, including West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City and Wigan Athletic. Barnett, one of the Hatters’ biggest football exports of the past 20 years, was featured in Bedfordshire Bulletin earlier this month after he appeared in a Save Our Town video promoting the campaign for Power Court and Newlands Park. He said that Luton Town’s new 17,500seater stadium in the town centre was “long overdue”. Speaking of his heart problems after Monday’s announcement, he said: “It’s a bit of a shock, but it could’ve been worse. They told me if that was a normal person in a regular job they probably would’ve collapsed and fainted.” Barnett played more than 350 games across England’s top four divisions during his 16-year career, the most recent a 0-0 draw against Bury on October 2, and scored 16 goals. He had a device inserted into his chest after reporting tiredness during a Carabao Cup tie in August, and had data analysed by a cardiologist in October after experiencing

similar problems in the Cobblers’ League Two game against Bury. “They downloaded the data and found out that my heart rate was going just under 300 beats per minute, which is unbelievable,” he said. “They said because you play football and you’re quite fit you managed to stay on your feet, so it’s very fortunate that they’ve found it and handled it quite well.” Northampton say they will honour Barnett’s contract - which runs until the end of the season - while also giving him coaching opportunities at the club. “I’m obviously thankful. I wasn’t even thinking about the contract to be fair, obviously it’s a massive thing for them to still give me what I signed up for,” Barnett said. “They’ve been there the whole way through. I’m very thankful for everything they’ve done, so I need to repay them.”

He graduated through the Hatters’ youth ranks to make 70 first team appearances between 2002 and 2007 before he was transferred to West Brom for £2.5million. The player, who runs the Leon Barnett Football Academy, said in the Save Our Town video: “When I was at Luton there was talk of a stadium and people were umm-ing and ah-ing and saying should it be happening? “But you can see the team going in the right direction and Power Court is the perfect place to put a stadium.”

Make work experience MORE than a Lidl special

IdentIcal twins Jasmine and Shola Mcateer, aged 16 from Wixams, are now live on national tV screens in the christmas lidl advert “Make christmas a lidl special”. they are seen tucking into christmas lunch surrounded by an orchestra in the lidl family home. Jasmine is studying level 3 extended diploma in dance at the South Banks arts centre of Bedford college, and Shola is at the Bedford Sixth Form studying english literature, english language, Sociology, Fine art and dance. Both gained their tV roles through adelle Moss of the aM Kids agency, and Bedford college performing arts lecturer. Shola said: “adelle has played a massive role in my working life , she’s continuously offered her advice and opened many doors for me as a young actor and dancer. From the age of nine she has mentored me, giving me a kick start as a young performer.” link to tV ad click here n


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