Goodbye Fletch!

Alex Fletcher has announced on social media that he is leaving the Club to take up a position at the PFA. Seems very poignant as it’s twelve months to the day since that dreadful incident in the Dulwich match. As we feared the very worse that awful evening it’s wonderful that he has made such a recovery and it was so good that he was able to make those two short appearances this season. Just a pity that his last appearance was on that disappointing day at Worthing.
All the very best to you, Fletch, and thank you for some great memories!

All the best Fletch. What a player and man. Played for us and was amazing for us with an outstanding goal ratio when we were struggling a bit after covid 19 break, with a weaker team so imagine what he'd be like now in this team. Such a shame as he would definitely have got back in the football league. As always health more important than football. So glad he got 10 minutes on the pitch at TP this season.

I've written my thanks and farewells elsewhere but what a player, what a man.

A true inspiration to us all. Let's hope we never have to witness an incident like that again.

Just an incredible young mun with incredible human spirit. Privileged to have seen him make his comeback and some of the steps along the way, truly humbling.

All the best at your new Club, Alex.

Weston have unveiled Alex as their new signing tonight. Not sure what to make of that.

Perhaps he has more chance of some playing time there?

Loyalty in football is a yesterday word. The decent thing for him would have been to stay with the club this season and then leave. We stood by him during that awful time and are repaid like this.

Digger wrote:Loyalty in football is a yesterday word. The decent thing for him would have been to stay with the club this season and then leave. We stood by him during that awful time and are repaid like this.

Without knowing the facts, seems like you are being a bit harsh on him. Could be that we are looking to strengthen the squad, which currently numbers just 16, and need players who are able to step in straightaway. Hopefully more will become clear in the next few days.

Digger wrote:Loyalty in football is a yesterday word. The decent thing for him would have been to stay with the club this season and then leave. We stood by him during that awful time and are repaid like this.

Christ mate, he very nearly gave his life for us, that's more than enough loyalty for me. He's probably been 'decent' enough by not having Injury Lawyers 4U all over us.

I'd have loved nothing more than for him to have gotten back to his best here, but he's not close enough to the level yet and he's not gonna get near if he's not playing. It's best for both parties and I'm delighted for him that he's gotten himself a good contract.

Digger wrote:Loyalty in football is a yesterday word. The decent thing for him would have been to stay with the club this season and then leave. We stood by him during that awful time and are repaid like this.

He had to do what was best for him.

I can't imagine how it would feel for him playing at Twerton regularly when he is sprinting toward the Bristol end.

New start.

Dave wrote: He's probably been 'decent' enough by not having Injury Lawyers 4U all over us.

Interesting point. Has anything been done in the way of 'padding' on the advertising hoardings? I only ask as I think there have been at least two similar incidents since the Dulwich abandoned match, both on away grounds and involving opposing players - correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it was at Eastbourne back in August and, according to the highlights, at Weymouth on Tuesday. Fortunately it didn't appear that either player sustained injuries anything like Fletch's.

Could someone copy and paste the text - https://www.instagram.com/p/CzY8bevIlsa/?img_index=1 - alex_fletcher9 08/11/2022 - I don't have Instagram and can't scroll the post due to the technicalities of the website design.

The idea that he hit advertising hoardings should be laid to rest. They are just flimsy plastic sheets fixed to and hiding the wall.
Having a concrete wall around the pitch to keep the punters off it is a pretty standard approach. Higher level teams have been able to remove the wall by having all seater stadia. The advertising hoardings there are then much lower.
There needs to be an alternative to the concrete wall as a safe means of providing a barrier. A steel barrier would present its own dangers.

I don’t see what you could have to replace a barrier between pitch and terraces which wasn’t as solid as a wall. But what is needed is some sort of protection for players if they collide with it.

Just an opinion, but, on horse racing courses they replaced wooden barriers with malleable plastic fencing, which has proved to be just as protective against intrusion between areas as it has been on the occasions when horses inadvertently collide with them - and far less dangerous!

Some idiot stole the pens for the signing of Fletchers Banner behind the Bath End. Players signed front. 3 fans signed back then 4 pens got nicked.

comrade powell wrote:I don’t see what you could have to replace a barrier between pitch and terraces which wasn’t as solid as a wall. But what is needed is some sort of protection for players if they collide with it.

I agree but the entire wall would need to be protected. I can imagine the wall covered in those plastic wrapped foam blocks that they make kiddy play areas from.

I think the Instagram statement that Fletch put out was (perhaps intentionally?) a bit misleading with no mention of his signing for Weston - reading it the impression was very much that he was leaving to work for the PFA.

Weston's announcement that he has signed for them was a bit odd as well - it shows him wearing a City shirt and makes absolutely no mention of the accident.

As for what you do about the surrounding walls, in more than 50 years of watching City I can't recall another player being injured from colliding with them, and you would think that with the slope and the fact they are closer this would be more of a risk at the Bath end.

"The Whippet" (Craig Davidge) c. 2006, collided with the Bath end wall and went to hospital. It is a rare event.

So are car crashes but only a fool doesn’t wear a seat belt.