Father who fell to death at Oasis Wembley show was a ‘lifelong fan'

Independent

2 days ago

The father of a 'lifelong fan' who fell to his death at the end of an Oasis concert at Wembley Stadium has said the whole family is 'devastated'.
Landscape gardener Lee Claydon, 45, of Bournemouth, Dorset, died following the incident at the London event on Saturday, according to his family.
Speaking at his Bournemouth home, Clive Claydon, 75, told the PA news agency: 'He was a lovely bloke, loved to be with his family – a hard-working family man, he loved his kid, looked after them really well.'
He added: 'He had everything going for him. I am so devastated, I have been to the doctor for tablets and everything to get over it.'
He said that Lee, who is a father of one and was set to go on holiday with his family soon to Turkey, had gone to the concert with his brother and his brother's children, might have had a 'couple of beers' but had not taken any drugs.
Mr Claydon said: 'He doesn't take drugs, he may have had a couple of beers but who hadn't there, people have said horrible things but it was just an accident.'
Mr Claydon said that he was concerned about the safety measures at Wembley but added his son's brother and family had not seen the accident happen.
'It must have been horrific,' he said.
'All I know is there was beer everywhere, it's slippery, he slipped apparently, we do not know the rest of it, there's questions about the barriers.'
He added: 'Of all the thousands of people there, it had to be my son.'
A spokesperson for Wembley Stadium said: 'Wembley Stadium operates to a very high health and safety standard, fully meeting legal requirements for the safety of spectators and staff, and is certified to and compliant with the ISO 45001 standard.
'We work very closely and collaboratively with all relevant event delivery stakeholders – including event owners, local authorities, the Sports Grounds Safety Authority and the police – to deliver events to high standards of safety, security and service for everyone attending or working in the venue.'
The Health and Safety Executive has been informed.
The Metropolitan Police are asking for anyone who witnessed the incident, or have mobile phone footage, to come forward.
A fundraising page, which has been set up to help raise money for Mr Claydon's partner and son, has already reached over £2,000.
'Our family has been turned upside down and are struggling to deal with this devastation and unexpected loss,' Aaron Claydon wrote on the page.
'Lee was a loving family man who was a role model to his son.
'Lee would have done anything for any of us and he was taken from us far too soon, and we will miss him so very much.
'Lee loved all outdoor activities, one of his favourite hobbies was fishing. He also loved music and his guitar. He also really enjoyed going to watch and support the boys and his nephew at their football games.'
The fall happened during a run of stadium shows for the band's sell-out Live '25 reunion tour – their first since splitting in 2009.
Oasis said in a statement: 'We are shocked and saddened to hear of the tragic death of a fan at the show.
'Oasis would like to extend our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the person involved.'