UGLY SCENES marred a fiery Black Country Derby as a brawl broke out between fans – causing the FA Cup tie to be abandoned.
Police had to intervene when chaos broke out in one corner of The Hawthorns, moments after Matheus Cunha had put Wolves 2-0 up against West Brom in the 78th minute.
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The fight broke out on the home field of West Brom
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An ambulance pulled the fan from the ground covered in blood Credit: Getty
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Police pinned him to the ground before taking him awayCredit: Getty
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Several arrests were madeCredit: Reuters
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Kyle Bartley took his children out of bedlam Credit: AFP Getty Images
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Flares fell and missiles were thrown throughout the matchCredit: Getty
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The police were forced to intervene because the match was stopped
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The fans ended up on the field to avoid the commotion
Fans swarmed the pitch as police tried to contain the mayhem at the Birmingham Road End.
The match was stopped and both players were taken from the field.
The outage caused a lengthy delay while police and security guards tried to resolve the issue.
The trouble is believed to have erupted after it was discovered that some Wolves fans had infiltrated the area, reserved for Albion supporters.
A fight broke out and in the crowd West Brom fans fought with the police and stewards as they entered the pitch.
Reports claim that a missile thrown from the crowd aimed at Matt Doherty hit the ball boy, who required medical attention.
All the boys and girls with the ball were also taken off the court.
During the game, even before the trouble, Wolves midfielder Tommy Doyle had several plastic water bottles thrown at him as he tried to take a corner.
There were several more arrests as Albion fans entered the pitch.
One fan was taken away by ambulance with blood gushing from a head wound, his face masked with his own blood, while another fan was carried away on a stretcher.
The match was stopped in the 81st minute with Wolves leading 2-0 with goals from Cunha and Pedro Neto.
ITV commentator Sam Matterface said of the shocking scenes: “There seem to be some disturbing scenes.
“I think it’s because there are a few Wolves fans who may have ended up at home. There are actually problematic situations here.
“The kid had to be pulled out of the crowd and onto the pitch to be taken off. The West Brom fan is with the kid, he went over to make sure he was OK.
“The police come to the field here and go to that corner to try to sort things out.
“This is exactly what we didn’t want to see. The passion of derby day is great. The intensity of derby day is great, but this kind of overflow is not acceptable in any sense.
“It’s getting really nasty. I think there are certain parts of the ground where Wolves fans have bought tickets.
“The police have to use batons. It’s really ugly.”
Wolves and former Baggies player Craig Dawson appear to have pulled one fan to safety as he was attacked.
West Brom defender Kyle Bartley Albion was seen cradling his young daughter in his arms.
Bartley did not come on for the rest of the game and was substituted when the match resumed after a 32-minute delay.
The remaining ten minutes were played without incident as Wolves won 2-0 to progress to the fifth round of the FA Cup.
The violence is believed to have broken out near where the players’ family and friends usually sit.
Reports before the match said that around 250 emergency police officers had been deployed to the area as there were fears that violence would break out.
The FA released a statement on the incident, which read: “The disorder which occurred at the black derby between West Brom and Wolves is completely unacceptable.
“Safety and security are of the utmost importance, and the behavior of those involved was dangerous and unrelenting.
“We will investigate these serious incidents together with the clubs and the relevant authorities and appropriate action will be taken.”
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Both players were taken off the fieldCredit: ITV
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The match was stopped at 32 minutesCredit: ITV
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A West Brom fan was taken away on a stretcher
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The riot police were called to deal with the yobsCredit: AFP
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West Brom appealed for calm amid ugly scenes Credit: Getty
talkSPORT commentator at The Hawthorns Nigel Adderley saw the horrific scenes and described them on air
Adderley said: “It’s an area of the ground where a few of the players’ families are during matches, which explains why the players used to go to that area.
“Police and stewards wrestle one or two people to the ground, a policeman’s helmet was knocked off while fighting with a fan.
“It’s all very close to the family stand here at the Hawthorns and now Kyle Bartley has gone over now, he’s pointing at his family members and one of the ushers is going over to make sure they’re taken to safety.
“Now he’s carrying a small child away from the situation, I think it could be one of his own children, he’s pulled his child out of the stands and I think he’s taking more children away from the scene.
“Bartley is leading his family members down the line, and they will go down the tunnel to safety.”
Three people were arrested – one before the match and two after.
One fan was taken to hospital.
West Midlands Police said in a statement: “We have extra officers at this local derby and they responded immediately as a disturbance in the stands caused fans to take to the pitch.
“Five people have now been arrested for offenses against public order and peace in relation to the disorder on the pitch.
“Another man was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon before the game outside the stadium.
“We have been working with officials to restart the game as soon as possible. The man was taken to hospital with head injuries.”
The man was taken to the hospital with head injuries.
West Brom released a statement condemning the violence.
It read: “West Bromwich Albion Football Club condemns in the strongest possible terms the unsavory scenes which interrupted Sunday’s Black Country derby at The Hawthorns.
“The match was temporarily abandoned in the 78th minute of the Emirates FA Cup Fourth Round match against Wolverhampton Wanderers following crowd unrest.
“The club will work with West Midlands Police and the Football Association to fully investigate the incidents which resulted in the suspension of the match.
“Any person involved in the disorder will be subject to a ban from the club, with a potential criminal investigation.
“The club will make no further comment until a full and thorough investigation has been completed.”
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