Family of Sheffield United fan who collapsed at Watford speak of horror and slam stewards' response

The family of a 16-year-old Sheffield United fan who collapsed in the away end at Watford on Monday night have slammed the response of stewards at Vicarage Road, after admitting they feared the situation would prove fatal.
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Shanel Crampton received medical attention after going into an adrenal crisis in the stand and spent the night in Watford General Hospital before being discharged on Tuesday morning to continue her recovery in Sheffield.

The game was temporarily halted after the alarm was raised, with a number of supporters – including some in the home end – attempting to invade the pitch in a bid to draw attention to the incident.

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Shanel’s mum Kellie told The Star from Hertfordshire that it took between 20 and 30 minutes for medical attention to reach her daughter. Shanel’s condition, an adrenal insufficiency, means a wait of more than nine minutes could have proved fatal.

‘She’s going’

“I kept saying to my mum: ‘She’s going, she’s going’,” Kellie admitted. “You could see her eyes were going. Fans were shouting ‘She’s dead’ because she wasn’t responding.

“If I’d seen a stranger like that, I’d have probably felt the same. What upset us most was how slow people were to react. We can’t thank the fans enough, of both clubs.

Shanel Crampton, right, with her mum Kellie and grandmother TracyShanel Crampton, right, with her mum Kellie and grandmother Tracy
Shanel Crampton, right, with her mum Kellie and grandmother Tracy

“But I asked a steward if I could get some salt to put in her body and he said no. We were begging for paramedics and an ambulance and there was just nothing. Stewards were just hanging around, chatting, and fans were raging at that point.

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“If they'd got to her quicker, she wouldn't have been half as bad as she would. She ended up worse because they were so slow.”

"Lessons need to be learned”

Shanel Crampton, right, with Tracy and KellieShanel Crampton, right, with Tracy and Kellie
Shanel Crampton, right, with Tracy and Kellie

Kellie went on to slam the “diabolical” care at Watford General, claiming doctors contradicted advice from Shanel’s specialists at Sheffield Children’s Hospital after the family contacted them.

“They played it down completely and wanted to get us straight out,” Kellie added. “We were in a bed on a corridor with nothing. She’s been very neglected.

“If the stewards had acted quicker and alerted paramedics, it may not have been as bad. But it’s like they didn’t know what to do.

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“If someone was having a heart attack, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.

A Watford fan runs onto the pitch to try to attract the attention of the match officials after a medical incident in the Sheffield United end (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)A Watford fan runs onto the pitch to try to attract the attention of the match officials after a medical incident in the Sheffield United end (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
A Watford fan runs onto the pitch to try to attract the attention of the match officials after a medical incident in the Sheffield United end (Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

“A lesson needs to be learned for all football clubs. And maybe they need to have more in-depth training on how to cope if something like this happens again.”

Shanel said her heart rate reached 140 beats per minute at one point and had torches shone in her eyes, with her pupils registering no response.

She has been in touch with one Watford fan, Cam Emery, who attempted to raise the alarm and was ejected by a steward for his efforts. Writing on social media, Emery said he was “disgusted on how Watford handled it” and thanked Blades fans for their reception when he was eventually allowed back inside Vicarage Road.

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“After nine minutes it could kill me,” Shanel added, “and we were waiting half an hour.

“It could be a coma. It could be death. It could be so much worse.”

Sheffield United fans pictured prior to kick off at Vicarage Road: Simon Bellis / SportimageSheffield United fans pictured prior to kick off at Vicarage Road: Simon Bellis / Sportimage
Sheffield United fans pictured prior to kick off at Vicarage Road: Simon Bellis / Sportimage

Shanel lives in Lowedges with her grandmother Tracy, who was also at the game.

"I think she’s dead”

“I lost my voice shouting and screaming at stewards,” she said. “I just cannot believe what happened, it could have ended up so, so different.

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“I know it was the first home game of the season but it was like the stewards had had no training whatsoever. Like they were on probation in the new job. They were just looking at me as though I was speaking Chinese. I was just saying: ‘Please, someone help us. Please.’

“The guys behind us thought she'd gone. Her eyes... I'm getting emotional thinking back. It could have been so different.

“I just can't believe the messages we've had from people we don't know, everyone's gone crazy. I spoke to United and they said loads of people had been in touch with them to ask how Shanel is. It's nice that people care.

“I could hear people going: ‘I think she's dead’ and a young guy in a United shirt said: ‘I’m a doctor, is there anything I can do?’

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“I told her what she had and straight away he was saying what she needed. I didn't get chance to thank him, it was all crazy. But luckily he was there. Stewards were pushing him back, they were too busy telling people not to stand in the aisle during the game. Then something like this happens. I'm just very, very angry and upset.”

‘Action needs to be taken’

Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom sent his best wishes to Shanel and her family on behalf of the entire club on Monday evening, after the game which ended 1-0 to Watford, and United shared an update on their website after speaking to Tracy.

“I’m just so grateful for the fans who did what they could,” Shanel added.

“Action definitely needs to be taken quicker because next time, with me or anyone else, it'll be too late and they'll be gone.

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“And who's that down to? Unfortunately there'll be a death on someone's hands. It's made me far more nervous in terms of trusting the whole safety policy and it will put me on edge. It'll take quite a lot for me to go to a match again, especially to a longer away game.

“It'll take a while because it's shaken me up quite a lot. But with the right support through my family, I'll get there.”

Watford FC have been contacted for comment.

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