'I was so happy to see Oasis live but had one big concern during the concert'

Irish Daily Mirror

5 days ago

When I heard that an Oasis fan had died after being "found with injuries consistent with a fall" at Wembley Stadium, I felt sick. Lee Claydon, a 45-year-old from Bournemouth, died after falling from a height at the show on August 2.
Although the details surrounding the fall have yet to be confirmed, his devastated dad Clive Claydon, 75, claims his son's fall was an accident and he slipped. Although he wasn't at the event himself, the dad said his son "may have had a couple of beers but had not taken any drugs".
He added: "People have said horrible things but it was just an accident. 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."
I had an incredible time when I attended the tour days before on July 30, but there was a detail that niggled away in my mind after it was all over.
Even though I thoroughly enjoyed belting out tunes like Wonderwall with thousands of other supporters, there was an issue I was acutely aware of. That's because the floors around me seemed seriously slippery. The crowds were there long before Oasis took to the stage (Image: Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)
I arrived at Wembley just after 5pm to watch support acts Cast and Richard Ashcroft. Even though it was an hour before anyone was due on stage, people were already making the most of the nearby bars.
Although I would never expect there not to be alcohol at events like this, it was concerning how much booze was being spilled onto the floor.
The man behind me even tipped some down my back, jollily telling me it wasn't something he would have apologised for the last time Oasis was touring.
Then as the night continued, and people got even merrier, more drinks started being knocked over. The jacket on the back of my seat was soaked through and the ground started feeling like an ice rink.
I realised how bad it had become when I went to the toilet just after Richard Ashcroft had left the stage. While I felt safe, apart from the odd beer shower, someone in my row did slip and fall on his way out onto the steps.
And while I hung onto the handrails to ensure my safety, others weren't so lucky and also took a tumble. Thankfully, a chap that I saw fall down didn't get seriously hurt.
There were barriers and signs telling people not to stand. But as most people were standing, and dancing through the whole concert, it did seem worrying. The gig itself was incredible (Image: Ariane Sohrabi-Shiraz)
At the end of the night, after the epic Champagne Supernova encore and fireworks, we decided to let everyone else leave in front of us.
The mass exit was as hectic as you can imagine, and several people, including me, shouted warnings behind them about how slippy it was.
People also took to social media after the gig to share their thoughts. On August 4, one wrote: "There was a girl at Wembley last night who slipped over and dislocated her knee in the concourse, my wife and I got her some help and she was taken away with her friend.
"Somehow my wife spotted her afterwards and we found out she was still able to watch the gig after strapping up and use of a wheelchair which was great news, not sure if she'll see this but I hope you're OK and recovery isn't too bad!! Take care on the slippery floors people."
Another replied, saying: "My friend fell as well due to slippery floor. Got straight back up and we sang our hearts out and danced the rest of the night."
And a third wrote: "I see a man fall on the steps going down to the floor, he was really injured, blood pouring from elbow and he looked concussed. Can't believe how many people I see slip on those steps."
However, plenty of other people reported their evenings had gone off without a hitch.
On a Facebook fan page, one argued: "18 years worth of events, most with 90,000 people attending, and never an incident like it. It's a tragic accident, and blaming it on the venue or security is ridiculous."
On Reddit, another said: "I went Wednesday and literally saw no drunks or trouble anywhere (queuing for the tube for an hour too)." And a third wrote: "I was in the gods-ish. Everybody seemed relatively well behaved tonight to be honest."
Meanwhile, a spokesperson from 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 are regularly inspected by certifying authorities both on an event day and throughout the year, and we regularly review and test our plans to ensure adherence to the conditions set within the stadium's general safety certificate.
"We work very closely and collaboratively with all relevant event delivery stakeholders - including event owners, local authorities, the Sports Ground Safety Authority and the police - to deliver events to high standards of safety, security and service for everyone attending or working in the venue."