TRAUMATISED England fans have relived an Aston Villa supporters “horrific” 20ft fall onto concrete from a stand at Wembley Stadium during a Euros match.
Horrified witnesses saw the fan fall just before the Euro 2020 game between England and Croatia kicked off at 2pm on Sunday.
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The man, known as Jon, is a Villa supporter who suffered two broken ankles, a broken femur and a fractured pelvis, his pals said.
A shocked football fan said he heard a “loud thud” when Jon hit the concrete right next to his seat just after the national anthem played.
The fan told The Sun Online: “I was traumatised and had to leave the stadium early.
“I felt sick, shaken, emotional, couldn’t watch the game afterwards, a steward consoled me in the forecourt at half time.
“Overall it was a horrific incident and even now I keep getting flashbacks, I haven’t slept much.”
He said it was a “miracle” that Jon didn’t land on someone sitting in the stands.
The fan also criticised what he claimed was a slow response from staff at the stadium after Jon’s plunge.
“The stewards were a disgrace…
“It was a miracle he didn’t land on somebody or land on the other side of the railing which was concrete steps leading into the forecourt.
“The stewards were a disgrace… I believe somebody closer rushed to his attention and I scrambled around trying to find help via a steward,” he said.
“There was no urgency, I’m not sure how long it took for a paramedic to arrive but it seemed a long time.
“It was evident the stewards were not trained for such emergencies.
“Thankfully it looks like he is recovering in hospital. The most important thing is he’s alive, I feared much worse.”
The Sun has contacted the FA for comment about the allegations of a slow response.
RECOVERING IN HOSPITAL
Jon was taken to hospital after his fall and has undergone a series of operations.
His friends told Birmingham Live that the man was trying to put a St George’s flag on the railings of the third tier at the stadium when he fell.
He is now recovering well, they said, and has received dozens of messages of support.
One said: “Horrible news, Let’s all pray for him. One of the Villa loyal.”
Another said: “I went to school with him, he’s such a lovely lad.”
Do you know more? Email ben.hill@news.co.uk or call 020 7782 4100
An eyewitness told The Sun: “I saw him fall, it was horrific, he nearly landed on my feet. He bounced off the concrete in front of me.
“I thought the poor fella was dead. His leg was the wrong way round and there was blood everywhere.
“Everyone nearby was screaming at the stewards to get someone faster.
“He did seem to be down for a while before they got there, but personally I don’t think they could have got there much quicker.
“I just wanted to know if he was alive after. He definitely fell tying up the flag.”
Another supporter at the stadium said the fan fell directly in front of him – having plunged 20ft from the third level of the stadium onto the concrete on the second level.
The supporter who saw the fall told The Sun: “It was awful to witness.
“It happened after the national anthem but before the players took the knee, so probably one or two minutes before kick-off.
“He fell from the upper tier into 208 in the middle tier. When he fell an off-duty firefighter got to him within seconds.
“We were trying to get stewards and medical professionals on scene.”
The fan claimed it took at least five minutes for the man to receive any medical attention.
“The stewarding was absolutely awful, no urgency,” he said.
‘CRYING HIS EYES OUT’
An England fan told the Evening Standard: “We saw his legs go over the barrier and then he fell and hit the ground and didn’t move.
“It seemed to take staff ages to get to him. One guy near us who saw the whole thing was crying his eyes out.”
Another fan said: “I didn’t see it but spoke to some of the guys who did at half time. They were traumatised. He fell from the balcony towards the seats and the concrete.”
A Wembley Stadium spokesperson said on Sunday: “We can confirm that a spectator fell from the stands just after kick off in the match between England and Croatia at Wembley Stadium.
“The spectator was given on-site medical attention and was then taken to hospital in a serious condition.”
The spokesperson said UEFA was investigating the incident.
The Wembley spokesperson said: “We will continue to work with UEFA to ensure the matter is fully investigated and we are continuing to monitor the situation.”
There were 22,500 fans at the stadium to watch England win the game after a nail-biting first half that saw Phil Foden hit the post.
A loud roar rang out as Raheem Sterling scored the vital goal in the 57th minute.
Fans had been hoping England would get their revenge after Croatia’s goal in extra time of the semi-finals sent England packing at the 2018 World Cup.
Supporters inside Wembley erupted in cheers as they watched the Three Lions win their first-ever opening game.
They had earlier drowned out a small minority who booed at players taking the knee.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
