a wrote:
Lightning doesn't have to hit a player to electrocute them, if
lightning hits the ground the current radiates away in all
directions across the surface and a pair of legs that are apart on
the ground will have enough voltage drop across them to fry the
player quite effectively.

There's a piece of footage which crops up quite frequently on these
reality TV shows which shows a CG strike on the pitch and all the
footy players going down at once.


Yeah, I have seen that but I seem to remember it was a very open
field (ie no big stands with metal roofs) - the Old Trafford pitch is
tightly enclosed and I would have thought it quite safe. Certainly I
expect the spectators would be more at risk being sent out into the
open streets than inside a metal building, although I guess the
players might be a little bit safer.

According to tonight's Manchester Evening News, the stadium actually did receive
a direct hit, though when I was watching it on $ky Sports at the time, there
didn't appear to be any indication of any damage to the stadium (I would go as
far as saying that no-one there was any the wiser).

Paul.