Fraserburgh’s Ryan Cowie has thanked everyone who looked after him when he dislocated his knee against Turriff United on Wednesday.
The defender – who only came back last month from a torn meniscus – sustained a new injury to his left knee in the first half of the Broch’s Evening Express Aberdeenshire Cup semi-final victory at the Haughs.
Cowie received an X-ray today which showed he hadn’t sustained any fractures and provided there is no ligament damage he should be sidelined for a couple of months.
Explaining what happened the 30-year-old said: “I planted my left leg and tried to twist and kick the ball with my right against Keir Smith to get us a throw-in.
“As I twisted all my body weight went on the knee and it popped out.
“I’ve read that I got pushed or that I hit an advertising board but I planted the left foot and when I lifted my right leg and twisted I just collapsed.
‘I’m grateful to everyone’
“Sarah Robertson our physio was brilliant as were Steven Henderson, Turriff’s GP, and Michael Dick, our club doctor.
“They realised straightaway that it was dislocated and that it needed pushed back in.
“But the muscles around my knee had tightened and I’m maybe by own worst enemy in that I focus a lot on leg strength and building muscle which made it difficult for the knee to go back in.
“They tried to push it back but had to wait for the ambulance to arrive and it was during that period that the pain started to arrive, it was like a drilling feeling around the knee.
“One of the paramedics was standing over me saying ‘deep breaths, deep breaths’ and giving the rest of them signals about when to try to push it back in.
“Steven Henderson managed to push it back in and I felt a click and they were all cheering at the bottom of the bed.
“I’m grateful to everyone for looking after me. Pearl Hendry (Turriff’s kit-lady) was coming through offering cups of tea or anything else I wanted when I was waiting on the ambulance.
“Eddie Morrison (Turriff committee member) was offering to drive my car home, Gairn Ritchie (Turriff chairman) was seeing what he could do to help.
“I couldn’t thank the guys at Turriff enough for the way they looked after me, it shows what the Highland League is all about.
“Dean Donaldson (Turriff manager) has given me a couple of messages wishing me all the best, he shook my hand as I was going off on the stretcher.
“It was Mark, my brother (Fraserburgh manager), I felt sorry for. He was in tears, I said to him ‘how are you going to watch the second half?’”
Upbeat about return
Looking ahead to his recovery, Cowie added: “The X-ray was precautionary to check there was no damage to the bones, everything’s in place and the bones are fine.
“If the ligaments are OK, the timeline seems to about eight weeks.
“Turriff’s left-back Liam Cheyne messaged me and said he did something similar and it took about eight weeks.
F.T 2-1 Broch #theBroch
— Fraserburgh FC (@FraserburghFC) August 31, 2022
“That gives me hope but I will treat it with a bit of extra caution because it is the same knee that was operated on in the summer.
“I might be better leaving it an extra couple of weeks, I’m maybe my worst enemy in a sense because as soon as I feel OK I want to go back training and playing.
“Hopefully it’s eight to 10 weeks and I’ll see where I am after that.
“I’m positive, I won’t let it get me down and it was great that the boys got through to the final.”
