Brentford refer rugby-ball incident during Liverpool match to police

Brentford said on Monday, 19 October, that it had referred to police an incident in which a rugby ball was kicked from a height towards the pitch during Saturday’s Premier League match against Liverpool at the Gtech Community Stadium in London. The club said it was helping authorities identify those responsible, citing the safety of people at the ground.

What footage shows at the Gtech Community Stadium

BBC Sport reported that social-media footage shows a man on a rooftop near the stadium kicking a rugby ball towards the pitch as others laugh and cheer. A second clip shows a member of stadium staff taking the ball away from the pitch while play continued, the BBC reported. RTÉ, in a report credited to PA, said the footage had circulated on social media before Brentford commented.

Brentford’s response and the Liverpool match

The club said it wanted to help identify those responsible so that appropriate action could be taken. That action ‘may result in criminal prosecution’, it said. Neither report described a prosecution as having begun; the confirmed police-related step is Brentford’s referral of the incident.

‘The matchday safety of fans, staff, players and officials is of utmost importance,’ Brentford said, adding that it would support efforts to ensure action was taken. The club’s concern extends beyond whether play was interrupted: its statement focused on the potential harm from an object sent towards a football pitch during a match.

Liverpool won the match 2-1. Brentford finished with nine players after Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt were sent off in the second half, according to BBC Sport. RTÉ reported that Alexander Isak scored a late winner as Liverpool came from behind. The rugby-ball incident is being addressed separately from the match result.