Wolverhampton Wanderers' 2-0 win against rivals West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup was temporarily suspended for nearly 40 minutes because of a conflict in the stands between fans.
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Shortly after Matheus Cunha scored the game's final goal in the 78th minute, different instances of violence broke out at The Hawthorns. A large fight broke out on one side of the stadium, per the BBC, while others began throwing objects from the other side of the grounds. Police then entered the stands to break up the fights and appeared to use batons, according to The Athletic, with the crowd spilling onto the field. Some fans looked bloodied and a ball boy was reportedly hit with an object from the crowd.
The players were taken off the pitch but beforehand, West Brom's Craig Dawson tried to calm the fans down, per ESPN.
The match eventually resumed and Wolves were able to book their ticket to the round of 16 of the competition, but the incident marred the first Black County derby in 12 years.
"I think anyone that wants to come to a football match should feel safe," Wolves manager Gary O'Neill said after the match, per Sky Sports. "We shouldn't have to discuss incidents like that and I hope that everyone's safe and there's not serious injuries and there's no sort of lasting effects to it. I think it was really disappointing because it's obviously a big game … I thought the respect on the pitch between the players and between myself and [West Brom manager] Carlos [Corberan] was excellent. I thought the game was played in a real good spirit."
The FA condemned the violence shortly after the match concluded and said it would open an investigation into the events.
"Safety and security are of the utmost importance, and the behavior of those involved is dangerous and inexcusable," a statement read in part. "We will be investigating these serious incidents alongside the clubs and the relevant authorities, and the appropriate action will be taken."
Wolves will take on fellow Premier League side Brighton and Hove Albion during the week of Feb. 26.
