EXCLUSIVE Jack Morrow found himself in A&E a couple of hours after he’d captained non-league Avro to promotion after falling off a table during celebrations
Jack Morrow captained Avro to promotion, when within a matter of hours, he was in A&E after falling off a table. But a checkover and a McDonald’s, he was back with his teammates, celebrating late into the night.
Avro had just beaten local rivals Stalybridge Celtic 4-2 in the Northern Premier League West playoff final, in the seventh tier of English football, sparking wild scenes. The Ro, based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, continued their rise into the regions Premier Division and are now just three promotions off the Football League.
Morrow, who was only named captain at the beginning of the season, lofted the playoff trophy in the air shortly after 6pm, last Saturday. A matter of hours later, the Avro skipper was in A&E after careering off a table while dancing with chairman Rob Fuller – a moment captured on camera that has been viewed over a million times on social media.
The footage shows a topless Morrow and Fuller dancing on a table with teammates, while family members and supporters bask in the latest success with Justin Bieber’s ‘What Do You Mean?’ playing in the background.
The video takes a sickening turn when the table subsides, sending Morrow crashing into the floor while the Avro chairman hits his head on a chair on his way to ground. “That was the first and last time,” Morrow told Daily Star Sport , ending any possibility of future table-dancing.
The midfielder, who is an electrical engineer by trade, needed five stitches for a leg wound, miraculously avoiding serious injury to his head or back from the fall, after catching the back of his leg on the table on the way down.
He says: “I just remember being on the table with Rob, the chairman, and I think there was a few other lads on a couple of the other tables and then next minute I was on the deck.
“I hadn’t had that many, but it was quite early, I think it was about 7 o’clock. So I’d only had about five pints or something like that, but I was still alright – I was only tipsy.
“I remember being on the floor inside the clubhouse then I got carried outside to come round a little bit. My dad came back and picked me up and he took me to A&E and to be fair, my head was alright. I was probably there about three hours and then went and got McDonald’s and then I went back to the club.”
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The impact was one that Morrow has become accustomed to, likened to an aerial collision with an old-school non-league defender. For the electrical engineer, there were some bemused looks when he walked back into the office on Tuesday morning after becoming a viral sensation during the Bank Holiday weekend.
The chairman didn’t suffer too much fall damage either as he joined Morrow and the players as their celebrations continued long into the night in Royton.
Avro, who are based 11 miles from Premier League giants Manchester United, will be mixing with the likes of FC United of Manchester, Curzon Ashton, Guiseley, Workington and Gainsborough Trinity next season.
Grant Shenton’s side will be playing three divisions below the League Two next season, three years on from earning a place in the West Division and eight years after they were promoted out of the Manchester League, part of the football pyramid’s feeder league system and the equivalent of Saturday park football.
The Ro missed out on promotion on the final day of the season, despite winning 13-0 (thirteen), with former Football League side Bury winning the league. As a result, they had to navigate the playoffs, beating Lower Breck on penalties in the semi-final before goals from Taylor Dyson, Darrhyl Mason, James Simms and Kyle Hawley sent Avro up in the final.
For the playoff winners, Morrow’s antics stole the headlines but after a trip to A&E and refuelling at the golden arches, it was back out in his Avro tracksuit for the skipper. Although, rumours of shooting a one-under the morning after was over-exaggerated.
And for the Avro midfielder, there was no lasting damage to himself or the floor, barring a broken table. Maybe a plaque in the bar or a banner at the Vestacare Stadium to earmark the occasion?
Morrow says: “It’s a possibility. It wouldn’t surprise me with some of the lads that come watch to Avro. It wouldn’t surprise me.”