A young man who was rendered unconscious and suffered head injuries when he fell as he left a soccer game at Tolka Park began a High Court action yesterday for damages against Shelbourne Football Club.
Mr Troy Fagan (27), Coultry Road, Santry Avenue, Ballymun, Dublin, attended a match between Liverpool and Shelbourne at Tolka Park, Shelbourne's home ground, on January 22nd, 1993.
He claims he fainted while trying to leave the ground and woke up in hospital.
Mr Harold Whelehan SC, instructed by Bryan F. Fox & Co, for Mr Fagan, said his client was taken to the Mater Hospital where X-rays confirmed a fracture of the vault of the skull and extensive haemorrhage.
His situation was monitored after his discharge from hospital, but it gradually resolved itself.
Counsel said Mr Fagan's sense of smell was permanently destroyed and his sense of taste had also been affected.
Mr Whelehan said the match was the last to be held without it being necessary to hold a ticket to gain admission.
He said Shelbourne did not control the numbers attending.
The capacity of the ground was 8,923 and it was recorded that 8,791 entered. The defendant has denied liability and is pleading contributory negligence on the part of Mr Fagan.
Mr Fagan said he had met some of his friends in a pub near the ground before the match which was to begin at 7.45 p.m.
They arrived at the ground at 5.10 p.m. and paid at the turnstiles. They had to stand to watch the match.
At half-time he went towards the toilet, but felt faint and tried to make his way out of the ground. As he got nearer the gate, the crowd lessened. He told two men he was going to faint. He was unconscious for two or three seconds. He then went unconscious again and woke up in hospital. He was detained in hospital for seven days.
The hearing resumes today before Mr Justice Barr.