Football Match Postponed As Fan Falls Seriously Ill Before Kick Of

@JoshWainwright/Twitter

A medical emergency has forced officials to postpone a League One football match between Barnsley and Burton Albion.

The match was scheduled to kick-off at 3pm and players had already warmed, ready to start the game when a man collapsed on the grass behind the goal.

The Mirror reports medical officials responded immediately, performing CPR at the side of the pitch for over five minutes.

At around 3:30 pm a Yorkshire Air Ambulance landed, and medical professionals began to treat the man. At 4 pm the ambulance is reported to have taken the man away for more treatment.

Shortly after the air ambulance landed officials announced their decision to postpone the game due to the incident.

Doug O’Kane, the sports editor at the Barnsley Chronicle, praised the professionalism of the medical teams.

He wrote:

The medical teams of Burton and Barnsley deserve massive credit for reacting so quickly and professionally. Same to ambulance staff.

Both Barnsley and Burton posted a statement on Twitter about the decision to postpone, but refused to comment on the man’s condition.

Burton Albion tweeted:

It has been announced here at Oakwell that, due to a medical emergency, today’s game between Barnsley and Burton Albion has been postponed.

It goes without saying, but all our thoughts are with those affected.

Barnsley Football Club wrote: ‘due to the circumstances the match has been postponed’. They added: [Barnsley Football Club] will look to provide further updates when appropriate to do so.’

Fans reportedly applauded when officials announced the decision to postpone the game, recognising it was the right decision given the circumstances.

Burton manager, Nigel Clough, released a statement following the incident on the club’s official website:

First and foremost everyone at Burton Albion hopes the gentleman is OK and, in the scheme of it, football doesn’t matter.

When it was announced the game was called off all the crowd were applauding respectfully as they realise it’s the right decision.

We also think it was definitely the right decision to call off the game. Our players were not in the right mental condition to play the match.

When you go out at five to three and everyone’s buzzing and right for the game and then something like this happens right where our players were doing their little bit of warm up, they come in and naturally several were distressed.

It was our lads who spotted what happened and who called the medical people over. They were right in front of it as were our supporters. Nick Fenton was one of the first people over there as the lads were calling for people to be quick as they knew something was wrong straight away.

The referee and linesmen have all been brilliant about it and it’s the right thing to do.

A number of fans have shared videos of the incident on social media.

One person wrote: 

An air ambulance has arrived at Oakwell after someone was taken seriously unwell before the match started. Best wishes and a speedy recovery to that person.

At the time of writing, it’s currently unknown when it’ll be rearranged for.

Others sent their well wishes:

Barnsley have had a strong start to the season and are currently third in League One, with 15 points from eight games, while Burton Albion are 14th with ten points.

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Tom Percival

More of a concept than a journalist, Tom Percival was forged in the bowels of Salford University from which he emerged grasping a Masters in journalism.

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