Football: 11-Year-Old Impaled Leaving Auckland FC Match

What was meant to be a joyful family outing turned into a nightmare for one Auckland family after their 11-year-old son was impaled on a metal pole following Saturday night’s A-League semifinal at Mt Smart Stadium.

Young Jude, a devoted Auckland FC supporter, had just exited the stadium with his family after Auckland’s 2-0 defeat when the horrific incident occurred. The outing was meant to be a double celebration – a night at the football and a birthday party for Jude’s older brother.

“Just after we’d crossed the main road, Jude was walking slightly ahead of me,” said his mother, Mary.

“He didn’t see a waratah [metal stake] sticking up from the ground. Next thing I heard was his scream – and then I saw blood and yellow flesh pouring from his shin.”

Emergency Surgery and Quick Thinking Save Jude

Reacting quickly, the family used a football scarf as a tourniquet to stem the bleeding while emergency services were called. Jude was rushed to Starship Children’s Hospital in Auckland, where he underwent emergency surgery.

“We knew he needed the hospital immediately, so I took him in a taxi while my husband and our other three kids watched us leave, all visibly shaken,” Mary added.

The metal pole – described as a waratah, often used in construction or fencing – had been protruding dangerously from the ground, completely unmarked and unnoticed in the post-match crowd flow.

Local authorities and Auckland FC officials have yet to comment on the safety hazard.