A SOCCER-loving dad-of-two died after a simple header during a Sunday football match triggered a tragic chain of events, an inquest heard.

Macclesfield Town fan David Belk, 50, of Tytherington, died from a brain haemorrhage in hospital following a "tragic jigsaw of events" which started when the ball struck him nine-days earlier, causing a tiny tear in a blood vessel, a coroner ruled.

Speaking after the inquest, David’s wife, Sheila, 48, said: "He just loved his football. He was a great supporter of Macc Town. He would say: ‘I’ve got to follow my boys, even in the bad times’. He’s come back from games when they lost, saying he wouldn’t go again, but would always be there again the following week."

She added: "He was a man who lived his life to the full. He loved life and loved his family."

Earlier, the inquest at Macclesfield Town Hall heard how commercial director David had a pacemaker and was taking blood thinning agent Warfarin, which can lead to a weakening in the vessels in the head.

Giving evidence, Sheila said that he came home from a match for Higher Poynton Veterans on a Sunday morning, October 7.

She said he had complained of a stiff neck and headache after heading the ball.

Mrs Belk, a medical receptionist, said he had come back from work feeling "tired" on Monday, but drove to London on Tuesday, October 9, and stayed overnight for a meeting the following day.

But by Wednesday afternoon, his headache was so severe she had to drive and meet him with their son at a service station in Birmingham, and then take him to Macclesfield A and E on the way home, Sheila added.

David, a former Poynton High pupil, was transferred to Hope Hospital, in Salford, Manchester, but his condition deteriorated and he died the following Tuesday, October 16, a surgeon told the coroner.

Ajit Sofat, a consultant neurosurgeon at Hope Hospital, said he carried out thorough investigations on Mr Belk and found a brain haemorrhage.

Mr Sofat said: "If someone is on blood thinning drugs and hits their head, and has a haemorrhage, you could think the haemorrhage must be due to that. It is not always the case and I can’t say for sure. But this was probably the cause in this case."

He added that even if David had been taken to hospital on the Sunday of the match, there was nothing that could have prevented his death.

Deputy Coroner for Cheshire Dr Janet Napier concluded: "The history of his symptoms seems to date back to when he headed the football. He almost straight away complained of a stiff neck and then headache. I feel that the (football) incident is a significant factor that precipitated the bleed.

"Someone heading a football if they were perfectly fit and healthy would not have a problem; the Warfarin played a major factor. He was doing his usual Sunday thing and playing football. Certainly no one would have thought heading a ball would have that effect. But it certainly seems that this heading the ball set off a series of events which led to his death.

"If you have a little bleed it can become life threatening, as we have heard."

Dr Napier recorded a verdict of death due to a brain injury, and called it "a tragic jigsaw of events".

Mark Warburton, chairman of Poynton Football Club, who also formerly played with David, said: "He was a great club member, and extremely dedicated. He played for Poynton FC first team during probably our most successful period when we won the Stockport Cup in the mid 80s."

He went on to play for Poynton Nomads, where he finished his Saturday football career by winning player of the year in the 1998/99 season, before moving to Higher Poynton Veterans.

n Sheila Belk and family would like to thank staff at Macclesfield A&E, and Hope Hospital, Salford, for their care of David.