n n n ‘. concat(e. i18n. t(“search. voice. recognition_retry”),’n
Fan violence halted West Bromwich Albion’s Black Country derby with Wolverhampton Wanderers on Sunday in one of the worst outbreaks of hooliganism in recent years.
Six fans were arrested and two were taken to hospital when trouble flared after Wolves fans with tickets in the home end celebrated Matheus Cunha’s 78th-minute goal.
The youngsters were taken to the pitch for their own protection after clashes between fans and police, with more than 70 police officers rushing towards a corner of Halfords Lane End. Disabled fans were also moved in for protection.
Kyle Bartley, the West Brom defender, saw his two sons escort away from the riot, which took place near the players’ family seats, as police briefly scuffled with fans.
“The fan base for the derby is great, the intensity of the derby is great, but this kind of excess is in no way acceptable. This is getting nasty. The horrific scenes at The Hawthorns and the cup tie will be suspended until order is restored pic. twitter. com/WEvQsYzS3e
— ITV Football (@itvfootball) January 28, 2024
Referees used batons after they were also attacked, prompting Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil to take his players out of the box and into the dressing room.
A Wolves fan was dragged out of the stadium with blood gushing from his head as several home enthusiasts appeared to spit on him as he passed. A ball boy also went through a plastic bottle and had to be treated.
The Football Association will open an investigation into these horrific scenes and will promptly warn of sanctions. A hefty fine or even partial closure of the stadium are two of the conceivable penalties.
In a statement, the FA said: “The disorder in the Black Country derby between West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers is unacceptable.
“Safety and security are of paramount importance and the behavior of those affected is harmful and inexcusable.
“We will investigate those serious incidents together with the clubs and the relevant authorities, and appropriate action will be taken. “
Officers and stewards spent at least 20 minutes restoring calm before the match was finally restarted shortly before 2pm.
After the players returned to the field, there were some delays because there were too few lifeguards in the stadium.
West Brom said in a club statement: “West Bromwich Albion Football Club condemns in the strongest terms the unpleasant scenes that disrupted the Black Country derby at Hawthorns on Sunday.
“Anyone involved in these disturbances will be subject to a suspension from the club, in addition to a possible criminal investigation.
“The club will not comment further until a full and thorough investigation is concluded. “
It is the first time since 2012 that fans have attended the famous old derby, with a massive police operation set up to try and reduce the threat of riots among the crowd.
West Midlands Police said in a statement: “We had additional officers at this local derby and they reacted when disorder in the stands caused fans to invade the pitch. Two other people were arrested on disorderly conduct charges.
“We worked with the referees to get the game back as temporarily as possible. Another man was arrested before the game for possession of an offensive weapon. One man was taken to hospital with head injuries.
A spokesperson for the West Midlands Ambulance Service said: “A total of 4 patients were treated after the disorder. Of those, only one was the result of an injury sustained in the incident. The guy was treated at the scene and released. Three other patients had existing medical conditions.
Wolves took the lead through Pedro Neto in the first half, with fans in the away end throwing two flares towards the pitch as they celebrated the goal.
Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle was lucky to avoid flying bottles in the second half when he took a corner near the east stand.
Cunha’s goal led to horrific scenes at the corner of Halfords Lane End. The attack was halted for more than 35 minutes, with the stadium commentator imploring fans to return to their seats “if it is necessary for the match to continue. “
Separated by 11 miles from its rivals, West Brom will also publish its own investigation into the problems.
The time of the start of the match at 11:45 a. m. , brought forward on television and on the recommendation of the police, will be subject to scrutiny.
West Brom captain Jed Wallace admitted how feared by their families.
“My mom and dad were there, and some friends. It’s the area of the circle of relatives, so there were some kids there, that’s why we had the misfortune of having some players go there,” he said.
“You have to accept as true that the government did what it did. They were in control of the situation, but naturally, when you’re a parent, you feel that misery and worry about your children, which is normal.
O’Neil said as much the first time he encountered disruptions of such magnitude, adding that his own players had initial considerations about his return to the game.
He said: “Anyone who needs to attend a football match should feel safe, young people and older people can be in that area and we shouldn’t have to talk about incidents like that because they shouldn’t happen. “
“I’ve noticed that some West Brom players have to take their youngsters out of the stands and that never happens. Nobody wants to do that.
“At first the players were worried and, of course, they were afraid of his return and what might happen.
“I hope everyone goes home and nothing stupid happens afterwards. “
West Brom and Wolves enthusiasts waited too long to revel in that bitter old feud, and the scenes at the end were a throwback to a time we should forget.
It’s a haunting reminder of those painful years marred by vandalism and the investigation of such horrific scenes will be long and painful.
Safety and security will have to be of paramount importance and whenever they are threatened, the consequences will have to be severe.
Tribal animosity and rivalries seemed to be under control during the roughly 78 minutes of the Black Country derby’s first in front of fans in just 12 years.
Yet when Wolves effectively killed off the tie with the second goal from Matheus Cunha, bedlam followed in a corner of the Halfords Lane End.
On a day when both clubs were desperately seeking calm, the eye-catching symbol will be that of Kyle Bartley escorting his two youngsters out of trouble.
This was a world away from profit and sustainability, points deductions and expected goals.
These grudge matches have dripped with bile and toxicity since the two clubs became more regular rivals in the early 90s.
Separated by only 18 kilometres, these two founding members of the Football League had to wait too long to witness those derbies.
For most of the game, there was even a sense of sadness that those games didn’t come back more often.
That is, until exuberance turned to idiocy and the excitement of the case became too much for some people.
Another impressive result for Gary O’Neil and a professional and highly disciplined performance from his players after the chaos that ensued.
Coming out of his post-match press conference, O’Neil joked that he will communicate about the game in more detail on Monday.
Wolves arrived at the Hawthorns with history against them. September 1996 was the last time they won in enemy territory after Iwan Roberts’ hat-trick in a 4-2 victory.
West Brom are aiming for promotion to the Premier League under their attractive head coach Carlos Corberan and proved resilient and well-organised.
Yet Wolves’ Premier League class was evident in many parts of the game, particularly after the devastating counter-attack that resulted in the first goal.
Matt Doherty cut out a cross and then released Pedro Neto, who raced into the box from the halfway line. The Portuguese striker still had his work cut out for him but cut inside and then, after seeming to lose control in a brief instant, fired a low shot. past Josh Griffiths from 18 yards.
Now West Brom had to show more intensity and aggression, and Brandon Thomas-Asante fired a shot over the crossbar after a promising breakthrough.
Yet Wolves were in control and produced another clinical moment 12 minutes from time. It was further evidence of ruthless finishing and speed on the break, as Cunha found space to slot the ball home.
That was the precursor to the trouble, but Wolves deserve credit for completing the job once the players returned to the field.
Wolves will face Brighton at home in the fifth round next month, and there’s no explanation as to why O’Neil can’t continue his good season and advance deep into the competition.
Unfortunately, the way his team controlled their way through the bitter enemy’s face will be a footnote.
O’Neil said: “It’s been 28 years since we got here and won and in the end 2-0 was quite comfortable and we faced a difficult environment and a smart team.
“The guys were professional, united and controlled to get the job done.
“Of course, I’m sitting here and answering questions about other topics, but the main guys are focused today and all week on getting a team in a position to come here and win. “
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month and then a year for just $9 with our exclusive U. S. offer. U. S.