A disabled Manchester City supporter has been forced to have six weeks off work, after breaking her leg at the UEFA Champions League Final in Istanbul.
Clare Watson has shared the horrific story of being left sitting in her own urine for hours, separated from her grandchildren, and left with only a metal rod in her leg as a memento of the historic occasion for her team which she was never able to be a part of.
After suffering a break in two places on her femur, while avoiding vehicles on the rubble path leading to the stadium which other disabled fans have complained about, Clare required emergency hospital treatment. Turkish medical bills and rearranged flights have left her more than £10,000 out of pocket, with some of that impossible to claim back.
Clare said: “It was atrocious. We were forced to leave our taxi to the ground by police, due to a road closure, despite the taxi driver making it clear they had two disabled passengers.
“From that point, we were left to walk down the motorway with other fans and no way finders in sight.
“We then got onto a path of what I can only describe as a sort of building site rubble, with some vehicles allowed down there too.
“There was a bus on the far side and a car stopped on the path, with another bus coming towards me. I was frightened and tried to move out of the way but tripped on an uneven pile of rubble.
“It was then clear from the pain that I needed an ambulance, but they would not allow my grandchildren to come with me.
“Once at the hospital, I was told the severity of the 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 other attention for hours on end.
“Lying there in my own urine, soaking wet, was the most upsetting part of the experience.”
She added: “Fortunately, my daughter is a nurse and picked me up from the airport. She immediately knew I needed to go back to hospital.
“I went to North Manchester A&E and they could not believe I had been advised to fly home.
“I was cared for there for another week, and then sent home, 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 my souvenir flag.”
Level Playing Field wrote to UEFA in the week following the final, to demand accountability for their failure to accommodate disabled supporters. The charity is still awaiting an official response.
Level Playing Field fans liaison officer Liam Bird said: “It has been awful to hear the accounts of so many disabled supporters who have been impacted by UEFA’s failings at another Champions League final.
“Clare’s story is particularly shocking, and we are all feeling for her.
“Everyone at Level Playing Field is thankful to those who have shared their experiences with us. They will be used to bring about desperately needed change.
“There is a clear lack of respect for fans and lessons have not been learned a year on from Paris. We ask again, for accountability from UEFA and more insight from stadium appraisals.
“Next year’s final will be held at Wembley Stadium and will undoubtedly provide better, but this lottery of access and inclusion 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.”
Other disabled fans can share their experiences publicly or privately, by emailing: info@levelplayingfield.org.uk