Football’s day of disgrace: FA Cup derby clash is halted after violence breaks out in the stands between West Brom and Wolves supporters, fans storm the pitch and players are forced to take their children to safety
- The match was stopped with eight minutes and injury time remaining
- Did you see what happened? Email miriam.kuepper@mailonline.co.uk
The FA Cup derby match between West Brom and Wolves has been abandoned after violence broke out in the stands between supporters of both sides, with fans storming the pitch and players forced to move their children to safety.
Footage shared on social media shows crowd unrest as around 50 police officers and stewards try to hold back the crowd while wielding batons at the Hawthorns stadium in West Bromwich.
“I’ve seen it bad, but never like this,” said a West Bromwich Albion observer as he watched a man being led across the pitch with blood streaming from his face.
At one point, Albion defender Kyle Bartley was seen holding a young child on the pitch as he tried to escape the commotion.
The match always had the potential for violence, as it was the first time these rivals had met in front of fans since 2021, but no one could have predicted the shocking scenes that were to follow.
A blood-covered fan is taken away by police officers after trouble breaks out between fans during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers
Guards tried to stop the bleeding as they led the man away
A fan is taken away by police officers after trouble breaks out between fans during the fourth round of the English FA Cup
Police line the edge of the pitch after trouble breaks out between fans during the English FA Cup fourth round football match between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Hawthorns Stadium in West Bromwich
Police and stewards line the edge of the pitch after trouble broke out between fans during the English FA Cup
In the 78th minute of the match, when Wolverhampton Wanderers had just increased their lead to 2–0, violence broke out in the ranks as West Brom fans entered the pitch.
About thirty police officers and a similar number of stewards attempted to calm the situation, but despite four announcements to fans to leave the field, the match did not resume as fans were reluctant to leave the field.
The players from both teams left for the changing rooms and an announcement warned fans that the match could be abandoned if the players on the field did not return to their seats.
About half an hour after the original stoppage of play, the players returned to the field to warm up again.
Albion defender Bartley, who was holding a young child on the pitch, did not return to the pitch for the match’s restart and has been substituted.
About 250 riot police were deployed in the area and the atmosphere was tense. It was unclear what had caused this flashpoint, although towards the end of the first half Wolves supporters appeared to have been cleared from the Albion end.
There was bullying and provocation from both groups of supporters throughout, but the security teams seemed to have this under control during the final disturbing scenes.