'I went to watch Oasis live and three details really concerned me'

Daily Record

3 days ago

I was devastated when I heard the heartbreaking news that an Oasis fan had died at Wembley Stadium. On Saturday, August 2, Lee Claydon, lost his life after falling from a height, reportedly from the upper tier of the venue. The 45-year-old, from Bournemouth, had been enjoying the Britpop legends' return when the tragedy occurred.
Details surrounding the fall are yet to be fully confirmed, but his heartbroken dad Clive has made a statement about the incident. The 75-year-old claims: "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."
These words left a lump in my throat because I remember how chaotic it felt on the day I was there, earlier in the week. And in my personal experience, three details concerned me - the spilled beer, slippery surfaces and steep steps
My experience
I arrived at Wembley just after 5pm buzzing with excitement to see Oasis. And I wasn't the only one – as there were already fans going back and forward from the bar, spilling their beers along the way.
Then during the second support act, Richard Ashcroft, I felt booze dripping down my skin as a man behind me tipped his pint over.
Before long, my coat was soaked. But I realised just how bad things had become when I went to the toilet before Oasis arrived on 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.
So when I started climbing down the steep staircase, I kept my hands firmly on the handrail to avoid getting knocked over in the crowd.
However, others weren't so lucky. I saw several people slip, and one person even fell down, although he didn't get hurt.
At the front of the tier, there were barriers and signs telling people not to stand. But many supporters seemed to ignore this warning as they danced their way through the evening.
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 chaotic as you can imagine, and several people, including me, shouted warnings behind them about how slippy it was.
Fan experiences
My experience was echoed by others on social media. One Oasis fan took to Facebook on August 4 to share: "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."
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."
Despite this, other attendees said they had no issues when they went to the tour.
A member of an Oasis fan group said: "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."
Wembley's response
When asked to comment on this story, a Wembley Stadium spokesperson 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."