Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Mum of young Dundee fan hit by flare urges crowds to ‘do without pyro’
THE mum of a young Dundee fan who was hit in the face by a flare in the away end at St Johnstone has urged supporters to “do without the pyro”.
Levi Rennie, 10, was struck just millimetres from his left eye after a pyrotechnic went off shortly after kick-off at McDiarmid Park.
Mum Sherree, 49, said her son’s “life could have been changed in an instant” during the scary incident on Saturday.
She has now called on fans to rethink use of pyrotechnics during football games.
Sherree said: “We love the atmosphere at games, with the drums and the flags and the singing. But we can do without the pyro.
“The flare hit millimetres from Levi’s eye. If it had been his eye then where would we be?
“His life could have been changed in an instant.
“They need to think about what the pyro can do.”
Levi, from Tayport, has been attending Dundee games home and away with his mum and brother Kai, 14, since he was six.
He was playing the drum a few rows away from Sherree when he was struck by the flare. His mum added: “We go to all games home and away and he plays the drum for the young group of fans.
“It was the start of the game and he had just started playing the drum when the flare went off.
“I saw him put his head down and I ran over as I knew something had happened.
“He said he heard a bang and instinctively turned around to see what was happening and it hit him in the face.
“We think it then went into his hoodie and then he’s lifted his hood up and burned his cheek.
“He was hysterical, saying his face was burning. What has affected him most is the smell – he could smell himself burning.”
Levi spent the rest of the first half in an ambulance with his mum as paramedics treated his wounds.
Sherree then drove him to Ninewells Hospital to be seen by a doctor.
She said they were told it could take up to 18 months for Levi’s face to heal and he will be left with a scar.
Sherree added that her son is now wary of returning to away clashes, where pyrotechnics are more regularly used.
She said: “Hopefully he will be back at the football this Saturday as it is a home game and they don’t tend to use pyro.
“He is very wary of his surroundings now but we want to get him back as soon as possible.
“We feel if he doesn’t go on Saturday he will talk himself out of ever going back.
“He isn’t sure about away games, as that is when this (pyro use) is happening. I won’t put pressure on him until he is ready.
“His life is Dundee FC – he spends the whole week practising the drums.
“The one place he feels confident is at the football.
“The support he has had from supporters and the club has been amazing. We have had hundreds of messages of support – it is giving him a boost.”
Levi was invited by Dundee manager Tony Docherty to watch training and spend time with the players and coaches this week.
Sherree said: “Tony phoned me and then spoke to Levi – it was really nice.
“He has been invited along to Gardyne to speak to the players and Tony one to one.
“Tony knew who he was, from seeing him on the drum, and he said they want him back at the club.”
A spokesperson for Dundee FC said: “Unfortunately, this is an example of the very real dangers associated with pyrotechnics generally and within football stadia.
“We hope the young fan is recovering from his ordeal and everyone at DFC wishes him a speedy recovery.”
A 15-year-old boy has been arrested and charged in connection with the incident and two 17-year-old males were also arrested and charged following other pyrotechnics being used at the game. All three will be reported to the procurator fiscal.
A further two males, aged 13 and 15, will be reported to the Youth Justice Assessor after being charged in connection with pyrotechnics use at the game.