Chaos at Elland Road as a pitch intruder confronts Eddie Howe in the Newcastle technical area
Pitch invader confronts Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on technicality during 2-2 draw with Leeds in major security breach at Elland Road
- The man made his way to the dugout as Newcastle took a late free-kick
- The intruder made it to Howe before being led away by Elland Road security
- Concerns will be raised about how the man managed to reach the technical rooms
Eddie Howe faced a pitch invader during Newcastle’s 2-2 draw against Leeds in a major security breach at Elland Road on Saturday afternoon.
The man reached the tech room to get his hands on Howe before security reached the Magpies manager and led the man away.
The invasion came just after 90 minutes of the game had been played, and against the backdrop of a crucial late free-kick for the Magpies.
When Kieran Trippier’s attempt was blocked by the Leeds wall, photographs showed the man approaching Howe before fourth official Graham Scott intervened.
When the man was pushed away, some members of the Newcastle coaching team tried to push the man back before he was caught by security.
Eddie Howe faced a field invader during Newcastle’s clash with Leeds
A quick intervention from the fourth official saw Howe shrug off the intruder, after being caught unexpectedly
A member of the Newcastle coaching team helped the Elland Road staff capture the pitch invader
When asked about the invasion after the game, Howe said, “That was a real surprise.
“I focused on the game, and that’s the last thing you’d expect.”
The break-in will no doubt raise concerns about how it was possible for the intruder to reach the tech room, let alone manipulate the head coach.
On the Magpies had to settle for the single point won on the road, after Rasmus Kristensen’s edge-of-the-box attack tied the score with ten minutes to play.
Newcastle had previously put themselves ahead on two coolly taken penalties courtesy of Callum Wilson, after Luke Ayling opened the game with a goal for the home side in the opening seven minutes.
The man was quickly led away, but there will be concerns about how he made it to the tech room