Chesterfield-Oldham English soccer match descends into chaos
Things got a bit ugly during an English National League soccer match on Saturday in Chesterfield.
It all started with Chesterfield up 1-0 on Oldham Athletic in stoppage time on their home pitch of SMH Group Stadium.
During the 95th minute, Oldham’s James Norwood scored a sliding equalizer to salvage the draw.
Oldham fans stormed the field immediately after the clutch goal, and mayhem ensued.
Chesterfield goalie Harry Tyrer was shoved to the ground by what appeared to be an Oldham fan as the melee continued around him.
Some Oldham fans seemed to be celebrating with their team near the sideline.
But some Chesterfield fans, having fallen just short of beating their fellow title contenders, took exception, storming the field themselves.
A few punches were thrown in front of Chesterfield’s fans, but from videos circling on social media, it appeared to be mostly shoving and shouting between the two fanbases.
There was likely still some time left for either team to pull ahead, but the wild scene forced the referees to end the game, according to a report from the Derbyshire Times.
After the incident, Oldham released a statement condemning their fans’ behavior.
“Oldham Athletic condemns any encroachment on to the field of play and the use of pyrotechnics,” the statement read, per The Sun. “As a club, we pride ourselves on the passion of our supporters but the behaviour of everyone representing our club must remain lawful at all times.
“We will co-operate fully with all investigations made.”