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Footballer told to pay £20,000 after breaking opponent's leg

Maria Breslin
Thursday 12 October 2000 00:00 BST
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An amateur footballer said he faced financial ruin yesterday after being ordered to pay almost £20,000 for a "mistimed tackle". Stephen Minnis broke an opponent's leg while playing for a Merseyside Sunday league team four years ago.

An amateur footballer said he faced financial ruin yesterday after being ordered to pay almost £20,000 for a "mistimed tackle". Stephen Minnis broke an opponent's leg while playing for a Merseyside Sunday league team four years ago.

The father-of-two says he may even be forced to sell his house to meet the compensation costs a judge ruled he must pay at Birkenhead County Court last week.

"I really think this might open the floodgates for claims from footballers," said the warehouse manager, 32, from Prenton. "This could happen to anyone going out on a Sunday to play a game of football."

But Steve Harvey, a solicitor from the Liverpool firm Cuff Roberts which represents Matthew Cubbin, said his client felt justified in bringing the claim. "This was an unfortunate incident which resulted in Mr Cubbin suffering a serious injury. He was vindicated by the judge's finding that the tackle was negligent," he said.

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