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Weekly reporter rescues stricken US sportsman

Sam MurleyA sports reporter went “above and beyond the call of duty” to aid a US serviceman left stranded on foreign soil after being injured in an American football tour.

Sam Murley, pictured left, was covering the gridiron match between the Suffolk-based Bury Saints and Rotterdam 010 Trojans, in the Netherlands, for the Bury Free Press when the player, Manny Durran, suffered a broken leg and ankle on the field of play.

With the visiting side’s coaching and medical staff depleted Sam, 26, offered to escort stricken Manny to hospital and even forked out 200 Euros of his own money after medical staff were unable to recognise the injured party’s military insurance details.

Saints coach Chris Wallis has praised 26-year-old Sam’s actions.

He said: “I care a lot for my players. Every time they take the field they put their bodies on the line for me and the Saints and when one of them gets hurt it always hits me hard.

“To know that Sam did what he did to help look after my players is awesome.

“Sam crossed the line and went beyond the call of duty. He may not have put on a helmet and pads and played for the team, but he is already a Saints legend.

“What he did is appreciated so much by everybody involved within the organisation.”

Although he missed the remainder of the match, Sam was still able to cover the event with reaction, colour, pictures and video for the Free Press online and in Friday’s print edition.

Sports editor Derek Bish added: “Sam is always a real credit to the Bury Free Press when sent out to cover sporting events, but on this occasion he surpassed himself.

“He is very modest and will hate this being publicised, but to recognise the situation in front of him required action above and beyond the call of duty is extremely admirable.

“Plus he returned to the office on Monday with everything he needed to cover the tour online and in paper.”

5 comments

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  • December 5, 2014 at 2:16 pm
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    Erm, sorry to introduce a negative note here, and this should in no way reflect on Sam’s kind actions, but did Johnston Press pay for a reporter to go to the Netherlands to make an in-depth report of a friendly gridiron match between an American forces side and a Dutch team? I think I know the answer.

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  • December 5, 2014 at 3:49 pm
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    I see what you mean Idle Rich. I’m also struggling to think how enthusiastic the good folk of Bury St Edmunds would be about American Football/a US forces team/in Holland…..please don’t tell me it was a good local story!

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  • December 9, 2014 at 4:35 pm
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    ‘Idle Rich’, I don’t believe for one second that you’re remotely sorry for being negative about this.

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