Tony Kemp from Plymouth, Devon, who had a brain aneurysm and woke from his coma after hearing a Plymouth Argyle football chant (Picture: SWNS)

A football fan at death’s door woke from his coma after his family played his team’s favourite crowd chants at his bedside.

Soccer nut Tony Kemp, 59, suffered a mini-stroke caused by an aneurysm in the frontal lobe.

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The father of three, from Plymouth, Devon, was in surgery for eighteen hours then left in a coma and his wife Danna was told to prepare for the worst.

Devoted Danna sat by her husband’s side for two days as the deadline for turning off life-support approached.


But as a last ditch attempt she played some Plymouth Argyle football chants on her iPad.

Tony was at death’s door as he lay in hospital (Picture: SWNS)

Tony at the Bristol Hospital where he had treatment for a brain aneurysm (Picture: SWNS)

Danna said: ‘I got a call from the surgeon, he asked me to go and speak to him – my first thought was ‘he’s gone’.



‘We went into ICU and we were told that if he didn’t show any signs then his life support would be turned off in 48 hours.

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‘He really pushed it to the limit – we tried talking to him, squeezing his hand and playing him music, but there was nothing. I brought the kids up to see him.

‘We decided to play some Argyle chants – which is when he opened his eyes.’

A devout supporter of Plymouth Argyle FC, Tony owns all the kits and attended every match he could but was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm after feeling unwell.

The footy mad father of three woke up after hearing his football team’s chants

Tony Kemp is a devoted fan of Plymouth Argyle

In April 2016, a Bristol surgeon agreed to remove the affected blood vessel in his head but sadly the operation didn’t go to plan.

Danna feared Tony died because she hadn’t heard anything but after 18 painstaking hours he emerged in a coma.

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The whole family are relieved as he has continued to make a miraculous recovery.

Self-employed Danna said: ‘He is now walking and going to the shop independently, but his memory is not how it used to be.

‘He can’t remember certain things and some memories come back jumbled.’

Now Danna has organised a charity event to repay two charities that stepped in to help Tony while he was hospitalised, Headway, and Plymouth Argyle’s Green Taverners.

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