Portsmouth’s EFL Championship match with Middlesbrough was halted within seconds because of a medical emergency in the stands.
The match had only been underway for a matter of seconds before referee Gavin Ward halted proceedings, with the players swiftly taken off the pitch.
Posting on X, Portsmouth’s official account said: “There’s been a delay to kick-off at Fratton Park due to a medical emergency in the crowd.”
Middlesbrough also posted on social media, saying: “The start to today’s game has been delayed due to an apparent medical incident in the home section of the crowd. We will update in due course.”
It was later revealed the fixture would restart at the later time of 3:35pm – 35 minutes after the original kick-off time.
Reporting live from Fratton Park, the home of Portsmouth, Sky Sports pundit James Savundra said: “Really concerning scenes. Referee Gavin Ward blew his whistle to start the game but just seconds after that blew his whistle again because of a medical emergency in the crowd near the halfway line.”
Pompey had entered the clash languishing in the Championship’s relegation zone, three points behind 21st-placed Hull City.
John Mousinho’s side have struggled for form of late, winning just two of their previous nine matches across all competitions.
By contrast, Middlesbrough are challenging at the opposite end of the table, with the North East outfit starting the weekend inside the play-off positions.
Middlesbrough had lost just one of their last nine league outings, as Michael Carrick and co. aim to end an eight-year hiatus from the Premier League.
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