Hosts plea for skilled referee amid crowd during suspended EFL match
In an unprecedented turn of events, the League Two match between Shrewsbury and Bromley was temporarily suspended during its opening stages. The home side found themselves in a predicament when their assistant referee was injured, leaving them in desperate need of a replacement.
With no qualified referee in sight, Shrewsbury made a public announcement appealing to the crowd for assistance. However, their plea went unanswered, and the game was put on hold as they sought a solution to the problem.
The incident occurred at New Meadow, with the match paused for a lengthy period. As a result, 17 minutes of additional time were added once the clock reached 45 minutes to compensate for the delay.
During this pause, a fourth official was found, albeit not through the formal channels. With no more qualified referees available on hand, the fourth official from the crowd stepped in to run the line, leaving a gaping hole in his place.
Meanwhile, another League Two match between Newport and Swindon was also delayed due to the ongoing search for a referee. In a bizarre twist, a Bromley fan initially offered to be the fourth official but later declined due to being under the influence of alcohol.
After a 14-minute break, a fourth official was found, and the game resumed with 39 minutes on the clock. Bromley manager Andy Woodman later revealed details about the bizarre scenes during the match, while both teams expressed well wishes to the injured linesman.
Despite the unusual circumstances, neither Shrewsbury nor Bromley were able to find the breakthrough during the half. Meanwhile, the kick-off for the match between Newport and Swindon was postponed until 4pm.
In a humorous response to the situation, Bromley's social media team took to Twitter, posting: "We've got a fourth official! He's just a little bit shorter than our usual ones..."
The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of having a fully-staffed team for a football match, and the challenges that can arise when things don't go as planned. As the League Two season continues, fans can expect more exciting matches, hopefully without any more unexpected pauses.
- The manager of Bromley, Andy Woodman, shared details about the unusual scenes during the match, which saw a fan offering to be the fourth official, but later declining due to being under the influence of alcohol.
- Despite the unusual circumstances, sports like Major League Baseball (MLB) were continuing without such unforeseen disruptions, reminding us of the contrasting challenges faced within different sports.
- As the Champions League group stages approach, football (soccer) managers will be under pressure to secure victories and clinch spots in the knockout stages, hoping to avoid any transfer market mishaps or on-field incidents that could disrupt their progress.
