SHEFFIELD, England (AP) — A dozen fans of second-division Sheffield Wednesday entered the pitch during the team’s game against Coventry on Saturday in a protest against the struggling club’s ownership.
The pitch invasion early in the first half caused a five-minute stoppage of play as security personnel cleared fans off the field at Hillsborough stadium.
Fans want owner Dejphon Chansiri to sell the club. The English Football League this summer put restrictions on the club’s transfer spending after it failed to pay staff wages on time.
South Yorkshire police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The last-place club had anticipated the protest — extra security personnel had been positioned around the pitch.
Sheffield Wednesday’s only comment about the protest was to note during its game updates on social media that “a number of supporters have entered the field of play and the referee has temporarily paused the game.”
Coventry won the game 5-0.
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