Alex Fletcher
Very serious incident last night at Bath City where Alex Fletcher collided head first at speed with an advertising hoarding attached to a concrete wall. He was taken to hospital (once the ambulance finally arrived ) but it seems like it is very serious. Best wishes to him, his family and all affected.
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An update from Bath. Alex Fletcher incurred a severe head injury. He required emergency neuro-surgery last night and is currently in intensive care in a stable but critical condition.
A sobering incident reminding us all perhaps what is important and what less so.
If he was taken to The RUH in Bath he's in good hands they treated me for a stroke 4 years ago and everything about my stay was brilliant,hopefully Alex will fully recover after his operation.
I hope this might force the authorities/clubs to look closer at pitch surroundings. From dangerous slopes and concrete, to advertising hoardings and railings barely a foot away from the sideline, there have been many clubs just asking for trouble. Players often go skidding off the pitch, and I feel like I've seen several close calls where I was surprised someone wasn't injured.
There's a few premier league grounds where there's a little slope downwards as well. Old Trafford for one.
How that hasn't resulted in a bad injury yet can only be luck.
Fulham has an even worse slope off the pitch. The other place in football grounds seemingly ignored by Health and Safety is TV gantries and believe me I speak from personal experience!
Old Trafford has literal brick walls relatively close to the pitch, too. And I think the bottom of the slope is bordered by bricks?
I always wonder how many football stadia pass safety inspections, recently we were trying to get additional benches in our local park & were advised by the council safety guys that they had to be a minimum of 3m from the edge of the pitch - very few football staida have that much clearance from the sideline to the hoardings...
Reminds me of playing on one of the pitches on the Rye, where the stream is about 1metre from the touchline and corner!
Our manager was in and out of the stream a lot one game.
May I wish all the very best to and for Alex and my full support for comments on the numerous issues regarding lack of run-off into dangerous solid and threatening structures and objects. Modern footballers are significantly quicker and stronger athletes, running on better prepared and smooth, even playing surfaces than there forebears and the authorities need to adapt to a more modern safety conscious perspective as soon as possible.
The Led hoardings look great, but they are seriously solid and not something you'd want to collide with at speed. The family stand side at AP isn't ideal either as you're pretty much straight onto concrete if you overrun the pitch.
What makes that slope at the edge of Old Trafford even worse, IIRC, is that it's covered in astro turf not grass too.
Great news that Alex Fletcher is now out of intensive care. Long road ahead but at least beginning down that path. Honestly I am not sure that was the expected outcome a few days ago.
That is absolutely fantastic news
Wonderful news, well done Alex.
It's wonderful news, but you suspect it's only the start of his recovery. Just hoping that he gets the support he's going to need.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65296643
Thanks for posting @DevC - all the best to Alex as he tries to eventually get back on the pitch.
There was a case which set a legal benchmark for anyone seeking compensation for this kind of incident.
It did not go in favour of the claimant:-https://www.oxbridgenotes.co.uk/law_cases/simms-v-leigh-rfc
You'd like to believe that after these events both venues put in place measures to minimise the risk of any more players colliding with the perimeter walls.
No longer could they argue that "It's never happened before".