Medical alert dog transforms matchday for football fan

Nieve the labrador is Emily Marston's assistance dog and a Northampton Town sup-paw-ter

A football fan with a complex medical condition said her specially trained alert dog made her feel safe at matches.

Black labrador Nieve is believed to be the first medical alert assistance dog to attend League One games.

She has been accompanying lifelong Northampton Town supporter Emily Marston to home matches at Sixfields Stadium this season.

Nieve can detect changes in Ms Marston's scent and provide warnings, giving Emily time to manage her condition, which can cause sudden collapses and breathing difficulties.

Ms Marston said: "I just feel safe. Instead of worrying about what might happen with my health, I can just enjoy the match."

Nieve made her debut attendance with Ms Marston in the home match against Burton Albion in August.

'She’s amazing'

She discreetly alerted her about 25 minutes into the match, allowing her to take preventive medication and avoid a full medical episode.

Once her symptoms stabilised, Nieve performed pressure therapy to lower her heart rate, and Ms Marston was able to return and "enjoy the rest of the game".

Nieve's alert system begins with an intense stare, progresses to nudging with her paw and escalates to jumping if there is no response.

"Thanks to Nieve, I can get somewhere safe and handle it before things get severe," Ms Marston said. "She’s amazing."

Nieve was trained by charity Medical Detection Dogs, and her instructor Kim Jones said: "We are very grateful to Northampton Town for working with Emily to enable Nieve to safely and comfortably attend matches.

"We’ve built up to Nieve attending a match gradually and worked hard to prepare her for the crowds, sounds and smells."