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Disabled fan left lying in own urine after Champions League final chaos
Disabled fan left lying in own urine after Champions League final chaos
A disabled Manchester City fan was left lying alone in her own urine in a hospital bed after breaking her femur in two places amid the chaos at last month’s Champions League final in Istanbul. Clare Watson, who is ambulant disabled following the collapse of her three lower vertebrae, travelled to Turkey with her grandchildren for the showpiece game on June 10, but suffered an accident on the way to the match which has forced her to miss six weeks of work. Watson described her experience as “atrocious” after she and her grandchildren were forced to get out of the taxi they were travelling in to the Ataturk Stadium by police due to a road closure. She recalled walking over “building site rubble” and tripped as she tried to avoid an oncoming vehicle. “It was then clear from the pain that I needed an ambulance, but they would not allow my grandchildren to come with me, ” she told disability access charity Level Playing Field (LPF). “Once at the hospital, I was told the severity of my injury and that I would need surgery. I was moved to another hospital for the operation the following afternoon but was ignored and received no attention for hours on end. “Lying there in my own urine, soaking wet, was the most upsetting part of the experience.” LPF has demanded answers from match organisers UEFA over how disabled supporters were accommodated at the Ataturk Stadium in the week following the match, but has so far received no response. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin admitted on a visit to Manchester last month that “not everything was perfect” in Istanbul, with many supporters reporting issues with transport and access to water and toilets. Watson’s daughter is a nurse and advised her to go back to hospital when she returned to Manchester. “I went to North Manchester A&E and they could not believe I had been advised to fly home,” Watson recalled. “I was cared for there for another week, still in pain, but with the necessary equipment and plenty of care from my daughter. “I am now at home and unable to work, having missed the game and brought back a metal rod instead of a souvenir flag.” LPF fan liaison officer Liam Bird said Watson’s experience demonstrated “a clear lack of respect for fans” from UEFA, and that lessons had not been learned from the chaotic scenes at the 2022 final in Paris between Liverpool and Real Madrid. An independent report into that match found UEFA bore primary responsibility for what almost became a “mass fatality catastrophe” with supporters kept penned outside the perimeter of the Stade de France. Wembley will host next year’s Champions League final. Football Association chair Debbie Hewitt said last month that the staging plans would be “tested to destruction” by all the agencies involved in organising it. Bird believes Wembley will “undoubtedly provide better” but added: “This lottery of access and inclusion (based) on which year your team gets to the final cannot continue. “UEFA need to engage with organisations with expertise in disability access and inclusion, as well as disabled supporters themselves, when planning all showpiece events.” Football Supporters Europe is compiling a report into fans’ experiences at this year’s final which will be presented to UEFA. UEFA has been approached for comment. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Sheffield United sign Anis Slimane from Danish club Brondby Andy Murray ‘will be devastated with Wimbledon exit – but can still win titles’ Frank Lampard reveals he wanted to sign Declan Rice when he was Chelsea boss
2023-07-13 19:49
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk returns to Stanley Cup Final Game 3 after taking big hit
Panthers' Matthew Tkachuk returns to Stanley Cup Final Game 3 after taking big hit
Florida Panthers star Matthew Tkachuk has returned to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final
2023-06-09 09:48
49ers land Chase Young, Bears get Montez Sweat as Commanders unload top pass rushers
49ers land Chase Young, Bears get Montez Sweat as Commanders unload top pass rushers
Derrick Henry, Davante Adams and everyone on the Denver Broncos stayed put
2023-11-01 06:29
USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
USWNT vs. Vietnam: Key takeaways before they take on the Dutch
Hoping for an unprecedented three-peat, the USWNT won their first match against Vietnam. Here's what we learned before they clash with the Netherlands. The United States opened their conquest for a fifth World Cup win with a three-to-zero victory over Vietnam. This was the first match of gr...
2023-07-26 21:57
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to invest in F1 team
Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney to invest in F1 team
Wrexham owners and Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are part of an investor group that has bought a 24 per cent in F1 team Alpine. Renault, the Formula One team’s parent company, confirmed that Reynolds and McElhenney had joined RedBird Capital Partners, the US investment firm who own Italian football club AC Milan and also have stakes in Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group, in the deal. The 24 per cent equity purchase of £171m values Alpine at around £706m and the team said they will hope to compete for the F1 championship following the increased investment. Alpine, who are based in Britain and were born after Renault rebranded its F1 outfit two years ago, finished fourth in the constructors championship behind Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes last season. Reynolds and McElhenney made their first steps into sports ownership when they announced a shock takeover of non-league side Wrexham in 2020. Under their ownership and alongside the popular documentary show Welcome to Wrexham, the Welsh side returned to the Football League with promotion last season following a memorable campaign. Hollywood actor and Creed star Michael B Jordan, who has a minority stake in Premier League team Bournemouth, and US-based Otro Capital are also among the new group of investors in Alpine, the team confirmed. Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said: "This association is an important step to enhance our performance at all levels." Read More Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney insist they will not get bored at Wrexham Why Wrexham? How Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney came to buy a club they’d never heard of
2023-06-26 15:21
Springboks' Kolisi warns 'hard work starts now' after rout of All Blacks
Springboks' Kolisi warns 'hard work starts now' after rout of All Blacks
South Africa captain Siya Kolisi warned the "hard work starts now" after the reigning champions completed their World Cup preparations with a 35-7 win over 14-man New Zealand at Twickenham on Friday, the...
2023-08-26 08:55
Arsenal ran out of steam last season – but this is a very different Mikel Arteta team
Arsenal ran out of steam last season – but this is a very different Mikel Arteta team
As long as 30 minutes after the game, and at least 30m from the Arsenal dressing room, you could still hear the raucous celebrations inside. The cheers were especially audible as the door to the media room swung open and Mikel Arteta came in for his press conference, when he eventually allowed himself to smile – and quite widely. “A great feeling,” the Arsenal manager said after his side’s 1-0 win over Manchester City, which represented his first points against his former employers, not to mention his club’s first points at all against the champions since April 2017. “You could sense, it’s been so many years without beating them. “They were all dancing and super happy. They go into the international break and the mood is much better. They’re gonna have a few days off, the ones who are not involved, and it just sends everybody away until the next game against Chelsea with the right feeling. It’s great so I’m really happy.” If these sound like the sort of scenes usually reserved for when a trophy is won, that is kind of the point. It’s all about taking this team closer to that first Premier League since 2004. Arteta has taken them step by step over the last four years, and we’re now at the point where it’s truly decisive moves rather than the earlier strides. It was why this was so important. If you are going to actually beat a team as powerful as this Manchester City in the title race, you obviously need to beat them on the pitch, and in the league. Arteta naturally tried to play down its exact psychological significance, but he couldn’t but admit this was important. His interpretations of previous games were maybe a bit generous but that was understandable. “I don’t know if it was a barrier. Obviously it was something we needed to go through. To beat them we have to lose against them, we have to lose probably the way we lost at the Etihad. The team showed a real maturity today, that comes from experiences. Sometimes you need that to become a better team.” That is probably what Arsenal are, even if their points return is worse than this point last season. They are clearly a more substantial team, with more conviction, as a season like last year will ensure. It was an arrival, even if it ended in frustrating fashion. It ultimately proved Arsenal are at that level again. The summer signings have since been about giving them more dimensions. It is one of the more interesting elements of Arsenal’s start to the campaign, as well as what might have been lift-off for Kai Havertz. Arsenal clearly hit on a superb first XI last season, which propelled their campaign for months. The issue was it eventually left Arteta in a bind. He could either persevere with the XI, at the cost of energy given how little they were rested, or he could change up but also remove some of the verve. He tried to do a bit of both in the end, and they somewhat inevitably ran out of steam. Since then, Arteta has obviously been trying to give them more depth, but also variety. Havertz was about exactly this. Arteta will especially enjoy his contribution, the pass to Gabriel Martinelli for the goal coming as it did just minutes after the German came on. It looked simple but was about his spatial awareness and presence of mind. The effect of just doing that can’t be discounted either – as with the win. Arsenal will believe, even more than before. Nobody should believe this is going to be the City for the rest of the season of course. They have some huge absences, especially with Rodri and Kevin De Bruyne. They will return and both the team and Erling Haaland will inevitably go on the sort of run they did last season at least once. Arsenal should be more equipped to go that bit further, to get more points. That was what the celebrations felt like they were about, at least in part. The team is that bit closer to completion. Read More Mikel Arteta hails ‘fantastic’ young Arsenal side as they break Man City hex Arteta provides Saka injury update and rules Arsenal star out for England Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta hails ‘maturity’ of young Gunners after City win Gabriel Martinelli snatches last-gasp victory for Arsenal against Man City Fortune favours Arsenal as Mikel Arteta finally outdoes Pep Guardiola Pep Guardiola says he learned ‘a lot’ from Mikel Arteta ahead of Sunday reunion
2023-10-10 00:28
Shilo Sanders ejected for one of the most controversial targeting calls of the season
Shilo Sanders ejected for one of the most controversial targeting calls of the season
Colorado defensive back Shilo Sanders saw his night at the Rose Bowl end early.
2023-10-29 23:26
Verstappen gets back on track ahead of Japanese GP qualifying
Verstappen gets back on track ahead of Japanese GP qualifying
Max Verstappen laid down a marker with the fastest times in both practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, as he looks to put one hand...
2023-09-22 17:46
Aaron Rodgers tell-all report is 'just the beginning' of Packers drama
Aaron Rodgers tell-all report is 'just the beginning' of Packers drama
After Aaron Rodgers spilled the beans to The Athletic about his final years of the Green Bay Packers, there could be more drama on the way.Aaron Rodgers is no longer the quarterback of the Green Bay Packers following a trade to the New York Jets. Just when you thought that this would bring an en...
2023-06-06 06:24
Padres end skid, beating Diamondbacks 10-5 for Arizona's 9th loss in a row
Padres end skid, beating Diamondbacks 10-5 for Arizona's 9th loss in a row
Xander Bogaerts had four hits and three RBIs and the San Diego Padres handed the Arizona Diamondbacks their ninth consecutive loss with a 10-5 victory Friday night
2023-08-12 14:29
Patriots depth chart: RB room gets crowded with Ezekiel Elliott signing
Patriots depth chart: RB room gets crowded with Ezekiel Elliott signing
Patriots depth chart projection: Quarterbacks, offensive lineQuarterbacks: Mac Jones, Bailey Zappe, Malik CunninghamEasy pickings here. The only source of controversy arises from Cunningham vs. Trace McSorley, but Cunningham's gadget-guy versatility gives him the edge, and plus he's ...
2023-08-16 05:55