Football literally a matter of life and death for some fans, says report

POOR performances by your favourite football team may prove to be literally heart-stopping for some fans.

A report found a significant increase in the number of heart attack and stroke deaths among male supporters whose sides have just suffered a home defeat.

Dr Bill Kirkup examined the frequency of the deaths over five years in Leeds, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Sunderland. He found home defeats for local teams led to a 30% rise in the number of male deaths from heart attacks and strokes on the day of the match.