A referee was hit by a smoke bomb and a steward punched by a fan as a match in the National League descended into chaos on Saturday.
Barnet hosted Wealdstone in a regular fifth-tier match in a game that could have seen the hosts move into the top two of the league table with victory as they look to secure a long-awaited return the the Football League.
Dean Brennan’s side led 1-0 thanks to a goal from Callum Stead, but were unable to hold onto the three points, conceding a 100th-minute goal from Corie Andrews that sparked jubilant scenes in the away end.
The celebrations, however, poured onto the field of play at the Hive, with supporters entering the pitch as the cheers turned into unsavoury scenes deep into stoppage time.
Footage shared on social media shows a steward, who entered the field of play to try and remove a pitch invader, being punched by the fan before the person in question is dragged away by another fan and a group of players.
A National League match descended into chaos on Saturday when a pitch invader punched a steward
Players from both teams and another supporter were forced to separate the pair amid the unsavoury scenes
WARNING: Strong language
Classy that from a Wealdstone fan. Pinning down and punching the steward. pic.twitter.com/eJOpfyeGbe
— Ben (@BensBFC) February 3, 2024
Footage seems to show a supporter on the ground with a steward, who had entered the field as regulation to try and stop the pitch invader and remove them from the pitch.
It remains a criminal offence in the United Kingdom the enter the field of play.
The fan can however be seen getting the better of their tackler, before throwing a punch while on top of them on the field.
A group of Wealdstone players then run in to intercept the wrestling, with another fan – seemingly from the home end – running over to try and prevent the situation from escalating further.
The fans then begin to boo, with the invader eventually dragged away from the scene.
The referee was also hit by a flare thrown from the stands, seemingly from the home end
The game finished 1-1 between Barnet and Wealdstone, with the visitors scoring an equaliser deep into stoppage time
That wasn’t all, however, with the referee being hit by a smoke bomb in the aftermath of the goal.
More footage shows a fan running onto the field in celebration, as an orange flare appears to be thrown onto the pitch from the home end in the ground.
It seems to make contact with referee Dale Baines’ left shoulder, with the official stumbling in shock as he watches the flare fall to the ground.
Both Barnet and Wealdstone were contacted for a comment.
