[Football] Alex Fletcher Bath City.

[Leekbrookgull]

Apologies if posted before but we have all been to games where players have thundered into pitch side hoardings. I can recently as two seasons ago both Leek and Macclesfield both had dug outs close to the pitch made of breeze blocks. Just wish the fella good luck and hopefully a full recovery.

 

[Berty23]

Agreed. Fingers crossed.

On a related note, It has long been something that makes me angry when players shove others into the boards. Both running full speed and one gives the other a push into the boards or even worse if one is in the air and gets a shove. It should be a straight red. It is a coward’s attack.

I know comparisons with rugby are usually daft but in this case I think it works. off if you tackle someone beyond perpendicular. Same idea.

 

[surrey jim]

Bath vs Worthing has been postponed from this weekend because of it

 

[Arthur]

Nice touch by West Ham last night.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

Agreed. Fingers crossed.

On a related note, It has long been something that makes me angry when players shove others into the boards. Both running full speed and one gives the other a push into the boards or even worse if one is in the air and gets a shove. It should be a straight red. It is a coward’s attack.

I know comparisons with rugby are usually daft but in this case I think it works. off if you tackle someone beyond perpendicular. Same idea.

Totally agree.

I'll add I've always thought the run off especially at Old Trafford is especially dangerous with a steep slope.

 

[Swansman]

Had not heard about this before. Horrible stuff. Hope he gets well.

Just luck that this doesn't happen more often. If these ad boards did not bring in money, they would never be allowed as they are a risk to player safety.

Expect more safety regulations coming up regarding these boards to make them as safe as possible.

 

[Seagull58]

Agreed. Fingers crossed.

On a related note, It has long been something that makes me angry when players shove others into the boards. Both running full speed and one gives the other a push into the boards or even worse if one is in the air and gets a shove. It should be a straight red. It is a coward’s attack.

I know comparisons with rugby are usually daft but in this case I think it works. off if you tackle someone beyond perpendicular. Same idea.

I absolutely agree. I saw the little Manure/Norwich ratboy do it a year or two back. The victim was well pissed off but the ref did nothing.

 

[Berty23]

Totally agree.

I'll add I've always thought the run off especially at Old Trafford is especially dangerous with a steep slope.

I am amazed we have not seen something very serious in the rugby league grand final. The run off is so dangerous.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

I am amazed we have not seen something very serious in the rugby league grand final. The run off is so dangerous.

I had a little look to see why the pitch was raised.

Some say it was so they could put better understood heating in (bollocks), some drainage (maybe), to give a better view of the pitch (maybe but for the reason below)

When Champions League first started part of the deal was to use taller electronic advertising around the pitch. This meant that OT and other grounds were unable to use the bottom few rows of seating as the view would be obscured. Raising the pitch negates this though the view from the lowest row is said to be level with the pitch.

Therefore in reality it's down to money, firstly for Uefa and secondly the money grabbing owners of the club. I believe the latter reason the most plausible.

 

[dazzer6666]

Totally agree.

I'll add I've always thought the run off especially at Old Trafford is especially dangerous with a steep slope.

Spurs as well. Shocking planning at a new stadium.

 

[Leekbrookgull]

I stand to be corrected happily but i thought that those first few front row seats were kept empty was to prevent any fans from displaying any banners/flag's etc thus ensuring that TV viewers would see the advertising clearly? As others have said all about money.

 

[dazzer6666]

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Hallelujah.

 

[Guinness Boy]

Lovely catch up with Fletcher here who has returned to work (but not yet playing). Half deaf and with some double vision (hence the not playing) but otherwise appears fine.

Alex Fletcher: ‘I felt like if I passed out that could have been it really’

Bath City footballer Alex Fletcher on his life-threatening collision with advertising hoardings and his inspiring road to recovery

www.theguardian.com

 

[Arthur]

Lovely catch up with Fletcher here who has returned to work (but not yet playing). Half deaf and with some double vision (hence the not playing) but otherwise appears fine.

Alex Fletcher: ‘I felt like if I passed out that could have been it really’

Bath City footballer Alex Fletcher on his life-threatening collision with advertising hoardings and his inspiring road to recovery

www.theguardian.com

Piece on the beeb as well:

'Doctors said if I made it, I might not be the same'

Alex Fletcher, a non-league striker who fractured his skull colliding with concrete barriers next to the pitch, says "my family were told if I made it I may not be the same person".

www.bbc.co.uk

I work with Alex and I can confirm he's fine. He came back to work about 2 months ago initially just doing mornings. He got bored pretty quickly with only working half days so was back to near enough full time within a couple of weeks. We had been told not to expect him back any time before Easter so it shows what a fighter he is. He is genuinely a cracking lad, very humble and modest about his achievements in the game. I really hope for his sake he can play again one day.

 

[allystrat]

Glad to hear Alex is making good progress and let's hope that this really does lead to improvements to player safety. I wonder how many other grounds in this country have concrete or other unforgiving surfaces around the perimeter. With so much emphasis on H&S these days It's pretty damning that this hasn't been addressed much sooner, after all, players have lost their lives in Croatia and Argentina to similar incidents in the last 20 years.

 

[Arthur]

Thought I bounce this thread as today Alex becomes an ex colleague of mine.

He has taken up a role at the PFA looking after player welfare in the brain health department. Something that is obviously close to his heart so he has seen it as a bit of a calling. Delighted for him that something positive has come out of such a horrible situation.

He is still at Bath and has been back in and around the first team since the end of August which is amazing in itself given that at one stage they weren't sure he was going to make it through the night.

Good luck Fletch.