Chaos in second half as Portsmouth incident with fourth official temporarily halts WBA encounter

Portsmouth’s win over West Brom at Fratton Park was briefly interrupted in the second half, with the club now bracing itself for possible further action from football authorities.

Referee Matt Donohue halted play at 4.38pm after the fourth official, Alex Chilowicz, appeared to be hit by an object thrown from the south stand.

The item was retrieved and passed to a member of staff in the PO4 area before the match was allowed to continue.

Supporters were then addressed over the public address system, warning of the seriousness of such behaviour and urging anyone who witnessed the incident to come forward.

The episode marks the second match in a row in which Pompey have had to deal with crowd-related issues. During last weekend’s south coast derby against Southampton, several incidents inside the stadium were later described by the club as criminal offences.

A statement published on Monday confirmed that a ball boy required medical treatment and a member of staff sustained injuries after a pyrotechnic was thrown from the stands after half-time.

There was also a pitch invasion later in the match, with one supporter arrested for entering the field of play following Southampton’s goal in the 57th minute.

That individual has since been charged and bailed to appear in court in March, while two further arrests were made in connection with other incidents.

Pompey are already under scrutiny after being fined £50,000 for a pitch invasion following their League One title-clinching game against Barnsley in April 2024.

In their recent statement, the club acknowledged concerns about the potential consequences of the latest incidents, which could include further fines or even a points deduction.