Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens shouts at fans to leave the pitch
Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens shouts at his own fans to get off the pitch as they stage a sit-in protest to stop play after a medical emergency results in fan death before play was abandoned
- Leyton Orient went 1-0 up in the 10th minute after an earlier Joe Pigott strike
- The fan passed away after receiving CPR from medics on the side of the pitch
- The game was initially paused at 9.30pm before being suspended at 10.25pm
Richie Wellens was caught on camera calling for Leyton Orient fans to leave the pitch after the O’s clash with Lincoln was abandoned following a sit-in protest.
The League Two champions were 1-0 up against the Imps at Brisbane Road when a medical emergency took place in the crowd.
Play was initially allowed to continue by referee Stephen Martin, before a number of fans took to the field, sitting down near to the goalkeeper’s area to enforce a stoppage in play.
The move was not greeted with support from all fans, though, with a number voicing their disapproval and calling for their fellow supporters to ‘get off the pitch’, with the game eventually paused at 84 minutes, before being officially suspended.
However, the fan later passed away after receiving CPR treatment on the sidelines, despite medics arriving within four minutes of being called, as per The Independent.
Richie Wellens was seen calling for his own Leyton Orient fans to leave the field after a sit-in protest
Fans occupied the goalkeeper’s area late in the game during a medical emergency in the stands
Wellens was seen confronting supporters angrily and calling for them to vacate the pitch
In a video released of the incident, Wellens can be seen marching towards the fans and gesturing for them to leave their sit-in protest.
As he approached the supporters, stewards also took to the field to usher the protestors off, while fans at other points in the stadium cheered.
Joe Pigott’s 10th-minute strike had put the hosts ahead, but on 84 minutes the game was paused for close to an hour, before a suspension was called at around 10.25pm.
With the individual seemingly receiving CPR attention from medics, referee Martin was seen calling players off the field before the near hour-long wait for an official suspension of the game.
The club released a statement confirming that the game had been suspended, writing: ‘Tuesday’s fixture against Lincoln City was abandoned due to a medical emergency in the East Stand of Brisbane Road.
The thoughts of everyone at Leyton Orient Football Club are with the individual involved and their loved ones at this distressing time.
The club would like to thank all supporters in attendance at Brisbane Road this evening for the understanding and compassion shown, during a very difficult situation.
‘The club will provide a further update in due course.’
A number of fans took up position inside the goalkeeper’s penalty area to pause the match
Referee Stephen Martin called players off the field after the game had been paused on Tuesday
At the time of the suspension, Orient led 1-0 through Joe Pigott’s 10th-minute strike
Around 20 Leyton Orient supporters entered the pitch to try to stop play late in the second half
The goal came from an error by Sean Roughan after 10 minutes. Under pressure in his own penalty area from Ruel Sotiriou, the Imps defender miskicked the ball and Sotiriou squared across goal for Joe Pigott to net his second goal of the season with the simplest of chances.
Roughan had earlier produced a good save from Orient goalkeeper Sol Brynn who was at full stretch to turn the ball around the post for a corner.
Both sides produced some neat football, with Hakeeb Adelakun going close for the visitors whilst former Lincoln midfielder Max Sanders was denied a goal against his former employers when Imps keeper Lukas Jensen flung himself to his left to avert the danger.
A lively and entertaining second period produced chances at both ends, with Ethan Hamilton going close for the visitors while Jensen clawed away a powerful header from Idris El Mizouni, before the medical emergency ended play.
The fans on the field were shown pleading with the referee as the game continued as normal
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