West Brom vs Wolves suspended after players leave the pitch and police use batons against fans
The FA Cup fourth-round match between local rivals West Bromwich Albion and Wolves was suspended in the closing stages due to a huge brawl erupting at the Hawthorns. The match was suspended in the 82nd minute, shortly after Matheus Cunha had scored for Wolves, putting the visitors two goals ahead. Violence broke out in the corner of the Birmingham Road End, with a number of fans spilling onto the pitch.
A large group of police officers rushed to the scene and batons were used in a bid to diffuse the situation. Some people were seen being treated by paramedics after being left injured in the chaos. ITV commentator Sam Matterface said, “There’s actually quite a troubling situation here.
A kid has had to be taken out of the stand and onto the pitch to get him away from the trouble. [Wolves defender] Craig Dawson has come out and had a quick word to make sure he is okay. The police are going over to that corner to try and sort things out and it’s exactly the kind of thing we didn’t want to see.
Derby day passion is great, derby day intensity is great, but this sort of overspill is not acceptable in any sense. It’s getting really nasty.” Police are having to use batons.
It’s really ugly. I have to tell you that we are restricting what we are showing you because some of the scenes are undesirable. The situation is not under control and that is a real problem.
This is harking back to the bad old days. I can’t remember the last time I saw scenes like this in an English ground. Supporters on the pitch were repeatedly asked to leave the field of play, with players from both teams eventually trudging back down the tunnel.
It was later confirmed that the match had been suspended to allow the situation to be dealt with, prompting a delay of around 30 minutes. ITV pundit Lee Dixon added, “There are a few players trying to calm things down, making gestures to the fans. The police are having trouble getting to [the fans].
There are a few policemen in the crowd asking for a bit more assistance. They’re taking a few fans out now, the police.” Both sets of players eventually made their way back out of the tunnel, with the game restarting after a brief warm-up following the delay.
The occasion had always carried the potential for violence, as it marked the first time that West Brom and Wolves had met in front of fans since 2012. The match restarted from the time of the second goal (77th minute) and concluded with Wolves running out 2-0 winners. The match was suspended in the closing stages due to crowd trouble.
Se suspendió el partido en la 82ªminuto, poco después de que Matheus Cunha anotara para los Wolves, poniendo al equipo visitante dos goles por delante. La violencia estalló en la esquina del Birmingham Road End, con varios aficionados invadiendo el campo. Un gran grupo de policías acudió al lugar y se usaron porras en un intento por calmar la situación.
Algunas personas fueron atendidas por paramédicos después de resultar heridas en el caos. El comentarista de ITV Sam Matterface dijo: “En realidad, hay una situación bastante preocupante aquí. Un niño tuvo que ser sacado de la tribuna y llevado al campo para alejarlo del problema.
[El defensor de Wolves] Craig Dawson salió y tuvo una breve conversación para asegurarse de que estuviera bien. La policía se está dirigiendo hacia esa esquina para tratar de solucionar las cosas y es exactamente el tipo de situación que no queríamos ver. La pasión del derbi es genial, la intensidad del derbi es genial, pero este tipo de desbordamiento no es aceptable en ningún sentido.
Se está poniendo realmente feo. Los aficionados en el campo fueron repetidamente invitados a abandonar el terreno de juego, con jugadores de ambos equipos finalmente regresando al túnel. Más tarde se confirmó que el partido había sido suspendido para permitir que se solucionara la situación, lo que provocó un retraso de alrededor de 30 minutos.
El comentarista de ITV Lee Dixon agregó: “Hay algunos jugadores tratando de calmar las cosas, haciendo gestos a los aficionados. La policía está teniendo problemas para llegar [a los aficionados]. Hay algunos agentes en la multitud pidiendo un poco más de ayuda.
Están sacando a algunos aficionados ahora, la policía”. Ambos conjuntos de jugadores finalmente salieron del túnel, con el juego reanudándose después de un breve calentamiento tras el retraso. El partido se reinició desde el momento del segundo gol (minuto 77) y concluyó con una victoria 2-0 de Wolves.
