A 21-YEAR-OLD Cwmcarn father-of-two is hoping to raise money in aid of his dad who was left brain damaged after a brutal attack last month.

Liam Dobbin wants to raise as much money as possible after his dad Simon was beaten up by a group of men after a football game at around 7.15pm on Saturday, March 21.

Manager Simon Dobbin, who lives in Suffolk, had travelled to Southend in Essex for a football match when he was punched, stamped on and kicked on his way to the train station.

Son Liam, who lives in Cwmcarn with his fiancé and two children, received a call at just before 11pm at night to say his dad was in hospital fighting for his life and it was unknown whether he would survive. He suffered a head injury, a broken hip and was knocked unconscious.

Police had to use CS spray to break up the fight, which reportedly involved around 15 people.

Doctors told Mr Dobbin his father’s heart stopped for seven minutes but they managed to resuscitate him – although he is now brain damaged and severely disabled. He currently lives in a hospital in Cambridge.

Mr Dobbin said it’s been “really really hard” since the attack. “Being so far away is also difficult, but you’ve got to carry on when you’ve got two kids,” he said.

“I don’t like to say what the prognosis is, I don’t want to say he’ll never make a full recovery. We don’t know. At the moment his movements are involuntary, his arms and feet are turning in.

“They used him as a football.”

Brain damage charity Headway will be working on Simon’s recovery and now son Liam wants to raise as much as he can to help them.

Keen cricketer Mr Dobbin is holding a charity six-a-side cricket tournament on Sunday, May 17 at Abercarn Cricket Club.

DCI Martin Pasmore, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, who led the investigation, said: “Mr Dobbin is an entirely innocent victim in this attack.

“He is a decent family man who was simply enjoying a day out with a friend.

“My heart goes out to his family at this very difficult time.

“It is my intention to identify everyone involved in this sickening attack and bring them to justice.”

Four men aged 19, 22, 23 and 23, were arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm and have been bailed until May 27, pending further enquiries.

The fundraiser will include a bouncy castle, face painting, burger and ice cream vans, candyfloss and popcorn stalls and a disco. It starts at 10am until late at Abercarn Cricket Club at the Welfare Ground in Abercarn.