Alex Fletcher makes his long awaited emotional playing return for Bath City 291 days after that serious head injury he suffered.
He fractured his skull in collision with concrete barriers next to the pitch and had surgery, remaining in a coma for five days following the incident against Dulwich Hamlet in November 2022.
Fletcher started the National League South fixture that day and made a quick run down the right, before he was nudged “unintentionally” into boards which had no padding, and Fletcher’s head made contact with a concrete wall.
Fletcher’s fiancee Ellie Pitocco said the surgeon told her Fletcher may not make it. But since then, he’s recovered, learned to walk again and returned to playing.
Bath picked up a 3-1 win over Hampton & Richmond Borough on Saturday (26 August 2023), with Alex Fletcher returning to action as an 85th minute substitute, coming 291 days since that incident.
A huge cheer was heard as Fletcher replaced Cook with five minutes left.
After the game this weekend, Fletcher spoke with the club’s media, saying: “I’m feeling great, I’m so happy grateful, I can’t really find the words to describe how that felt.
“I mean just the the reception that I got from everyone in the ground the other Hampton players as well and obviously my teammates was… it just meant so much to me but for me now it’s about, I’ve sort of got over that hurdle, that’s a massive milestone reach for me and yeah it’s just about building my minutes up not rushing it because yeah it’s important for my body and physically to not be rushing it.
“But yeah just to build up and hopefully I can start putting myself in contention fot what’s been a great start to the season.
“I think it’s gonna be tricky as well to you know break into the team because the start we’ve had and and the attacking players that we’ve got now really I think we’ve gone up a level so although I’m trying to get back to the form that I had before the accident, yeah it’s only good for the team that that we’ve got such strong attacking players.”
Interviewer: “You said about a series of milestones you’ve had some like you came back to watch the Chippenham game on Boxing Day you’ve been training with this squad did you have one in mind for when you’d be returning to playing?”
AF: “Well he wasn’t certain that I could actually return to football until around May I learned last year that for sure that I would get the opportunity to at least prove to myself if I could do it or not, um the one thing for me was that if it was taken out of my own hands I’d kind of feel defeated and deflated but the fact that I’ve been allowed to to carry on signed off from the medical professionals that was the green light for me to to you know start building a plan to get back into it so from day one it was my intention1 to come back on the pitch.
“I remember sitting in the hospital bed and saying I’m getting back on the pitch like no one can really tell me otherwise but yeah those those months where didn’t know if I was going to be able to play again obviously at such a young age was hard to get around mentally but as soon as I got that news there was only one thought in my mind and that’s what I’ve been working to like I said since May so to finally be here for what feels like a long time for me but in the grand scheme of things I think an injury like I had it’s a relatively short space of time.
“I think um for me it’s probably actually getting back and getting in amongst the boys and used to contact, there’s been the I won’t say the trickiest part I haven’t found it tough but the part to get used to the most, I started building my fitness really as soon as I could walk again and at that point it was all about what I can do but then obviously reintegrating into training with the boys them getting used to me obviously sort of being a bit wary of me to begin with and then ultimately being here that’s been the kind of trickiest3 part for me.
“But yeah from from day one like I said really everything I was doing in my recovery was with the goal to get back on the pitch…”
The moment Alex Fletcher made his heroic return to Twerton Park.
⚫️⚪️ #Romans pic.twitter.com/O4WfR93SdU
— Bath City FC (@BathCity_FC) August 26, 2023
Social media users gave their reaction as Alex Fletcher makes an emotional playing return for Bath City 291 days after his serious head injury…
@stujames75: Alex Fletcher is an inspirational man. Whether he played again wouldn’t have changed my view on that in the slightest. Fitting that @Cody_Cooke, his close friend, made way, & also that @stillmanjunior, who had to make the announcement on that awful night, was on the tannoy ♥️
@BucksWriter: An amazing moment for Alex, those closest to him and his teammates, but we shouldn’t forget all those health professionals who helped make this a reality 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@vivcurtis: Amazing. What a moment. 🥺
@bcfclucy: Absolutely incredible story. Congratulations Alex, the scene that everyone was hoping and praying for to see you back on that football pitch. 👏🏻
@FPLnashville: How can you not watch this without getting emotional 🥲 Incredible to see Alex Fletcher on a Football Pitch again after fighting for his life from that horrific collision last year. This is what Football is about, beautiful that Alex can carry on playing again 🤍🖤
@gsavage14: I honestly don’t care what else happens at Twerton Park or in football anywhere this season. This is little short of a miracle. Alex Fletcher is phenomenal 👏🏻 I had a lump on my throat just reading this, god knows what I’d have been like if I was there!!
@richardmccue7: What a fantastic day for the club and everyone involved Brilliant to see him back on the pitch
@ArgyleLife1886: Incredible, couldn’t be happier for the lad! 💚
@HaydontheWomble: Things you love to see. Welcome back Alex. #FootballFamily
@YouYeltz: Superb to see. Seems like such a great bloke as well, delighted for him and those close to him. 👏
@stidger72: Great moment. Congrats Alex
@Gunnertotty: Absolutely incredible. So happy to see this.
@Vicky_Freeman: Whoever you support the football story of the weekend is Alex Fletcher returning to action. We all feared the very worst back on that awful November evening.
@29JRG: Horrific injury, what a recovery!
@clarkey_90: Glad to see him back out there 👏
@Nemoooo_23: An amazing moment for an amazing player 🖤🤍
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