Newsletter #929

Details tonight of the Foe tribute organised by fans, Don’s latest news onthe situation and other City happenings, plenty of feedback on Chris’s viewsand a few requests.

This one goes out to 3,271.

NEWS SUMMARY

Marc-Vivien Foe

Mystery Remains: City fans have moved swiftly to set up a memorial fund for Marc-Vivien Foe, who died suddenly last Thursday. Heidi has provided details of the fund elsewhere in this issue. Mystery still surrounds the cause of Foe’s death. The post mortem on the 28-year-old showed nothing abnormal in his death and officials must wait for the results of toxicology report before they know more. “First analysis showed nothing abnormal but we rule out any stroke,” said Xavier Richaud, coroner for the Lyon region. “Toxicological tests, which will take longer, will be carried out.” Doctors are to examine the blood and urine tests which were taken at the time and FIFA have already issued a statement claiming the results of these tests did not give undue cause for concern. “In St Etienne a diagnosis of blood tests was made at the hospital, the results being all right,” read the statement. “It was confirmed that there was no infection. Treatment was infusion of NaCl and Imodium. On the evening of 25th June 2003 the player felt well. This was the information given by the doctor of the Cameroon team to FIFA Dr Mueller.” Foe’s widow, Marie-Louise confirmed that her late husband had been suffering from illness prior to Cameroon’s Confederations Cup match with Colombia. The midfielder had been struggling with diarrhoea but was desperate to play at the home of his French club Lyon. But Cameroon team doctor Olivier Assamba insisted that Foe had recovered from the stomach upset, insisting there was no connection with the problem and the player’s death. “The results were all right, it was confirmed that there was no infection,” he said. “We definitely think there is no cause and effect link between this problem and what happened to him.” An early theory following the post mortem that the player had died last Thursday of an aneurysm – the ballooning of an artery or vein – has been discarded. ‘We would have seen it,’ coroner Richaud stated.

Blatter to Attend Foe Funeral: Foe’s funeral is due to take place today in Lyon, with a memorial service in the Cameroon capital, Yaound