Oldham Athletic Fans Launch Tennis Balls, Flares onto Pitch During Carabao Cup Match

The problems of football club Oldham Athletic with their own fans and supporters don’t seem to end. After a number of home fans invaded the pitch in their League Two loss (2-1) against Colchester United on Saturday at Boundary Park. Mirroring scenes from the weekend, fans upped the ante on Tuesday, as their actions not only led to the match being temporarily halted right at the start, but also posed an awkward situation for Oldham players as well.

According to a Daily Mail report, the incident happened when Oldham hosted Accrington Stanley in the second round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday at the same venue. As soon as the match began, a group of home fans, unhappy with the club’s owners, launched tennis balls and flares onto the pitch. Their actions led to the match being temporarily halted after just three minutes of play.

Several video clips of the incident were widely shared on social media. They show the Oldham end of the pitch filled with green balls while smoke billowed from a bright red flare which also made its way onto the pitch. Footage shows Oldham players picking and clearing the tennis balls behind the goalpost but away from the fans. The crowd could be heard chanting against the owners in the background.

The supporters had taken a stand in the early minutes of the game to protest against the club’s owner Abdallah Lemsagam and his sporting director brother, Mo, the report further cited. However, the Football Association (FA) has already confirmed that it is looking into the pitch invasion and will potentially be taking action against the club.

Thankfully after play resumed, Oldham defeated Accrington Stanley 5-4 on penalties to reach the third round of the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. After four straight defeats Keith Curle’s side have slumped to the bottom of the second tier league, with just two scored so far.

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