Leeds United fan shatters heel jumping into Thames after team escapes relegation
Watch: Leeds United fan shatters heels jumping into River Thames after team's win
A Leeds fan shattered his heel after jumping into the River Thames to celebrate his team’s escape from relegation.
Johnnie Matthews, 36, went from joy to misery after diving into the water only to find it was three feet deep.
A video showed him screaming in pain after shattering his right heel following Leeds’ 2-1 victory against Brentford on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, which sent Burnley down.
He had made the "stupid pact" while drinking with his mates by the river near the Brentford Community Stadium in west London before the game, despite not being able to swim.
Johnnie, from Farnborough, Hampshire: “I was terrified going into that game, and I stupidly said to the boys at some point during the day, ‘If we stay up, I’m in the Thames.’”
He hoped to quietly get out of the stunt amidst the scenes of wild jubilation, but his pals held him to his word and “goaded” him to take a dip in the water.
Father-of-six Johnnie added: “The pain was instant, and I knew straight away.
"As I hit the water, I came up and screamed, “I’ve hit my feet.” And that's the point where he cuts the video.
“I tried to stand up but I couldn’t, I just kept dropping to the floor again. So I ended up scurrying out on my hands and knees.
The plumbing and heating engineer is now in hot water with his partner, who will have to pick up extra shifts to cover the cost of him being off work.
He doesn’t expect to return to work for several weeks - and may even need surgery.
Johnnie said: “I don’t think anything shocks my wife when it comes to me. She won’t tell me, but I’m pretty sure she’s disappointed."
His friend called an ambulance was instructed to go to a walk-in A&E centre as his injuries weren’t a priority.
With the help of his friends, he took a taxi to a nearby station and caught a train home, eventually getting to a hospital a couple of hours later.
He said: “I’m still waiting for a phone call from the doctors. There’s a possibility I might need surgery, and I might need a plate put in my heel.
“The guy there said you’ve got to look at six weeks for any bone injury, but we don’t know whether it will be shorter or longer than that.”
