CHRIS Moore was enjoying a season to savour with Hanwell Town until the coronavirus knocked both him and the club for six.
The Geordies’ co-manager, along with long-time pal Wayne Carter, was in a bad way when their unexpected promotion challenge in Isthmian South Central officially came to an end with Step 3 to 7 leagues being declared null and void.
“I had the coronavirus and didn’t really get to talk to anyone until three or four days later,” said the former Brentford and Dagenham & Redbridge striker.
“We were gutted when we heard, but I expected it. I didn’t think it would be points-per-game, the leagues will always go with the easy option.
“However, when you have people dying around the country – and we lost a supporter to it – it’s all kind of irrelevant.”
Indeed, his own brush with Covid-19 enabled Moore to see the bigger picture.
“I had it for two weeks and there were three or four days that were really, really rough,” explained the 40-year-old.
“My doctor suggested the possibility of going into hospital, but I’d heard the news about people going into hospital and not coming out, so I was reluctant.
“My doctor prescribed me some tablets and I was bed-bound. Five weeks later and my sense of taste and smell haven’t returned, though, fortunately, I was one of the lucky ones to come out the other side.”
Hanwell’s disappointment and his coronavirus scare could have floored many, but Moore is made of sterner stuff.
Indeed, his football career has been a rollercoaster ride right from the early days when he was rejected by Brentford as a 16-year-old for being ‘too small’.
This story is from the May 03, 2020 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
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This story is from the May 03, 2020 edition of The Non-League Football Paper.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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