Non-league striker Alex Fletcher has spoken of the terrifying moment he fractured his skull after colliding with concrete barriers next to the pitch. The 24-year-old was playing in a National League South match against Dulwich Hamlet at Bath’s Twerton Park when he was nudged into the boards, which had no padding. His head made contact with a concrete wall the boards were attached to and he was left unconscious on the ground.
Fletcher’s family were told by his surgeon that if he made it through surgery, there was a slim chance he may not be the same person, with the possibility of not having use of his legs or even remembering his family. His fiancée Ellie Pitocco, who has been with him since they were 13, said it was “the worst thing I have ever been told about someone who means so much to me”.
Fletcher remained conscious until he reached the hospital, and during that time he could hear the PA at the ground telling supporters the match had been abandoned. He had fluid drained from his brain and part of his skull and some vertebrae removed due to swelling to his brain. He now suffers with vertigo and is deaf in his left ear.
A fundraising page was set up by a supporter which reached £18,000, including £500 from Taunton Town – a league rival. Fletcher says the myriad of messages from the football world helped him and his family immensely – with one in particular standing out; England manager Gareth Southgate wishing him all the best for his recovery.
Fletcher is working with union the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to try and change player safety regulation, as he doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else. The PFA have met with the sports minister to put pressure on him to levy the FA [Football Association] to try and tighten the regulation around player safety.
Fletcher is targeting a return to football but is aware he has a long road ahead of him. His next date in his calendar though is his wedding day on 28 May. A spokesperson for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) said: “Whilst the focus of the SGSA is on the safety of fans, the safety at players is of course critical.” Minister for Sport Stuart Andrew said: “Ensuring player safety is of paramount importance, at every level of football.”
Non-league striker Alex Fletcher has spoken of the terrifying moment he fractured his skull after colliding with concrete barriers next to the pitch. The 24-year-old was playing in a National League South match against Dulwich Hamlet at Bath’s Twerton Park when he was nudged into boards without padding, which resulted in his head making contact with a concrete wall. His family were told by his surgeon that if he made it through surgery, there was a slim chance he may not be the same person, with the possibility of not having use of his legs or even remembering his family.
Fletcher remained conscious until he reached the hospital, and during that time he could hear the PA at the ground telling supporters the match had been abandoned. He had fluid drained from his brain and part of his skull and some vertebrae removed due to swelling to his brain. He now suffers with vertigo and is deaf in his left ear. A fundraising page was set up by a supporter which reached £18,000, including £500 from Taunton Town – a league rival. Fletcher says the myriad of messages from the football world helped him and his family immensely – with one in particular standing out; England manager Gareth Southgate wishing him all the best for his recovery.
Fletcher is working with union the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to try and change player safety regulation, as he doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else. The PFA have met with the sports minister to put pressure on him to levy the FA [Football Association] to try and tighten the regulation around player safety. A spokesperson for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) said: “Whilst the focus of the SGSA is on the safety of fans, the safety at players is of course critical.” Minister for Sport Stuart Andrew said: “Ensuring player safety is of paramount importance, at every level of football.”
Fletcher is targeting a return to football but is aware he has a long road ahead of him. His next date in his calendar though is his wedding day on 28 May. Alex Fletcher has spoken about his terrifying experience after fracturing his skull when colliding with concrete barriers next to a pitch during a non-league match. His family were told by his surgeon that if he made it through surgery, there was a slim chance he may not be the same person, with the possibility of not having use of his legs or even remembering them.
Fletcher remained conscious until he reached the hospital and had fluid drained from his brain and part of his skull and some vertebrae removed due to swelling to his brain. He now suffers with vertigo and is deaf in his left ear. A fundraising page was set up by a supporter which reached £18,000, including £500 from Taunton Town – a league rival. Messages from across the football world helped Fletcher and his family immensely – with one in particular standing out; England manager Gareth Southgate wishing him all the best for his recovery.
Fletcher is working with union the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to try and change player safety regulation, as he doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else. The PFA have met with the sports minister to put pressure on him to levy the FA [Football Association] to try and tighten the regulation around player safety. A spokesperson for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) said: “Whilst the focus of the SGSA is on the safety of fans, the safety at players is of course critical.” Minister for Sport Stuart Andrew said: “Ensuring player safety is of paramount importance, at every level of football.”
Alex Fletcher has spoken about his terrifying experience after fracturing his skull when colliding with concrete barriers next to a pitch during a non-league match. His family were told by his surgeon that if he made it through surgery, there was a slim chance he may not be the same person, with the possibility of not having use of his legs or even remembering them. Fletcher remained conscious until he reached the hospital and had fluid drained from his brain and part of his skull and some vertebrae removed due to swelling to his brain. He now suffers with vertigo and is deaf in his left ear.
A fundraising page was set up by a supporter which reached £18,000, including £500 from Taunton Town – a league rival. Messages from across the football world helped Fletcher and his family immensely – with one in particular standing out; England manager Gareth Southgate wishing him all the best for his recovery. Fletcher is working with union the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) to try and change player safety regulation, as he doesn’t want this to happen to anyone else. The PFA have met with the sports minister to put pressure on him to levy the FA [Football Association] to try and tighten the regulation around player safety in order to guarantee player welfare.
Fletcher is targeting a return to football but is aware he has a long road ahead of him. His next date in his calendar though is his wedding day on 28 May, where he will marry long-term partner Ellie Pitocco who has been with him since they were 13. A spokesperson for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) said: “Whilst the focus of the SGSA is on the safety of fans, the safety at players is of course critical.” Minister for Sport Stuart Andrew said: “Ensuring player safety is of paramount importance, at every level of football.” Under the Health and Safety at Work Act, football grounds are required to undertake risk assessments to identify any potential issues and ensure suitable mitigations are put in place in order to guarantee player welfare.