The FA Cup is a national football competition (soccer in America) that is played between teams in the English league system where the winner qualifies for the next season’s UEFA Europa League, On Sunday, January 28, 2024, the Wolverhampton Wanderers, a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England competed against their rivals, the West Bromwich Albion Football Club (West Brom), based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England in round sixteen of the FA cup.
The Wolverhampton Wanderers won 2-0 against West Brom but it wasn’t all joyful as it seemed. Their win was temporarily suspended for nearly forty minutes because of a conflict in the stands between fans.
After Matheus Cunha, a forward for the Wanderers, scored the game’s final goal in the seventy-eighth minute, a large fight broke out on one side of the Hawthorns stadium. Meanwhile, other fans started throwing objects from the other side of the stadium. Police entered the scene to break up the fights and used batons, while some fans went onto the field. According to CBS Sports, “Some fans looked bloodied and a ball boy was reportedly hit with an object from the crowd.”
West Brom’s centre-back, Craig Dawson tried to calm the angry fans down. The match eventually resumed and Wolves were able to book their ticket to the round of 16 of the competition, but the incident marred the first Black County derby in 12 years.
Wolves manager, Gary O’Neil, said after the match”I think anyone that wants to come to a football match should feel safe, We shouldn’t have to discuss incidents like that and I hope that everyone’s safe and there’s not serious injuries and there’s no sort of lasting effects to it. I think it was really disappointing because it’s obviously a big game. “
The FA condemned the violence shortly after the match concluded and said they would open an investigation into the events. They will be investigating the serious incidents with the clubs and the relevant authorities.
The Wolves will take on fellow Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion during the week of February 26, 2024.
