Non-league clash suspended with players taken off pitch as advertising board sparks safety fears

YEOVIL TOWN’s match at Hartlepool United has been suspended after strong winds wreaked havoc at Victoria Park.

Players from both sides left the field after an advertising board was ripped loose on one of the stands.

Referee Aaron Jackson halted the National League game midway through the first half.

With the match goalless, the sides were ordered back to the dressing room while the issue was fixed.

Footage from BBC Sport Tees showed two members of the ground staff scaling onto the Rink End, occupied by Yeovil’s travelling support.

The pair grappled with the pesky sign, before eventually pulling it loose to cheers from both sets of fans.

Footage quickly went viral after the contest was suspended for 17 minutes.

One fan laughed: “Good old health & safety.”

Another laughed: “Peak non-league. PA announcement: ‘We are working to rectify the damage safely.’ Reality: Two men jump on the roof and rip it off. Game on!”

While a third added: “Not sure there is much working at height safety at work in place there!”

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And a fourth joked: “Get some gaffer tape on it.”

Play eventually resumed following the quick fix, with the full seventeen minutes played as added time before the break.

Neither side could force a breakthrough in the North East, which has been battered through the afternoon by 50mph wind gusts.

Yeovil currently sit on the edge of the National League playoffs and entered the game chasing a third-straight league win.

Hartlepool meanwhile are the league’s draw specialists, with 9 from their 22 league games so far this season.