On Fri, 6 Aug 2004 20:36:03 +0100, "a" wrote:

As some of you might know a game was abandoned and one called off last night
at Old Trafford because there was lots of lightning around and the referee
feared for the safety of the players (and fans). Would there really have
been any significant risk of a lightning strike hitting a player when you
consider the pitch is surrounded by huge metal stands (a couple of hundred
feet high I guess) on each side? I would have thought any lightning would
strike the stands (they thing one of the stands was hit last night) and go
to earth rather than through the remaining air?


Although lightning will often go for high points, this is not always
the case and the ground (and people) can be struck, even though there
are higher spots around in the vicinity.

Sports fields are fairly open and there have been some notable
incidents on football grounds in this country - sadly involving deaths
due tp lightning.

In my opinion sports in the open should cease as soon as a storm is in
the vicinity. Golf is immediately called off if lightning is around
and this forms part of the rules of the game, I believe.

JPG