9 months ago
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The 'disgusting' and 'horrific' scenes at West Brom's FA Cup clash with local rivals Wolves brought shame on the image of English football.
That's according to Dean Ashton, who was at the Hawthorns for talkSPORT on Sunday and watched the chaos unfold as fan violence spilled onto the pitch and children had to be rescued from the fray.
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Wolves eventually secured a 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Pedro Neto and Matheus Cunha, but not before the match was suspended for over 30 minutes due to disturbing scenes in one corner of the ground.
West Brom fans reacted angrily to one or a group of Wolves fans in amongst the home crowd who were spotted celebrating the visitors' second goal.
It led to a melee in the stands which spilled out onto the pitch, with fans then entering the field of play from around the stadium to join in.
They were exactly the kind of scenes both clubs and the Football Association were hoping to avoid having moved the match - the first Black Country derby with fans in 12 years, having last played during the COVID lockdown - to an early 11:45am kick-off.
To make matters worse, there were worrying scenes for TV viewers of young children in tears being escorted away from the violence, while Baggies defender Kyle Bartley was seen lifting his own children out of the family stand nearby, onto the pitch and walking them down the tunnel.
Ashton couldn't believe what he was seeing, and admitted it was not a good look for the English game with fans tuning in from around the world.
"They've completely lost it, some of these supporters - completely lost their heads," said the former West Ham, Norwich and England striker, on co-commentary duty for talkSPORT.
"Yes I'm sure it is to do with possible Wolves fans in the West Brom end, we see just one man on his own in there being protected almost by the stewards as best they can.
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"You've also got supporters down there who have come from other stands and run along to get involved, and they're throwing things into their own supporters, trying to hit the one guy they're targeting.
"They're separating fighting fans in the stand, they're trying to get that one person out somehow through the melee while people are still throwing things at him. He's in a headlock being held back by a couple of stewards.
"People are just trying to throw punches at that one guy who they're trying to get out of the ground. The police are desperately trying to get him out but the fans just won't let them, they're swinging punches at him.
"A flare and has let off and now the corner flag has been picked up by somebody and thrown onto the field of play.
"This is absolutely disgraceful, what a shameful image for English football."
On the images of Bartley escorting his family out of the stadium, Ashton said: "What a disgusting position to find yourself in as a player, to feel that you have to get your family and your young children out of the stand where there's trouble.
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"How is that not enough of a sign to the supporters to get back in your seats?
"And beneath us there is another problem developing, more fans are grappling and more young fans are being pulled out of the stand by concerned parents. This is absolute madness!
"We've just seen a gentleman be arrested and taken across the pitch and out, he's got a bloodied head, he's being treated by a paramedic who is holding a bandage on it while he's being carted out by police officers.
"Let's not forget, these scenes are being beamed around the world - it's a disgusting and shameful situation for English football that his can still happen.
"This game was put on at 11:45am for a reason. The whole point was to hopefully stop these sorts of scenes, and it's just erupted.
"It's such a horrific look for English football and West Bromwich Albion."
