Drone halts play at Brentford

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By ( Press Association ) published
Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Premier League – Brentford Community Stadium
(Image credit: Nick Potts)

Play in the Premier League match between Brentford and Wolves was halted for almost 20 minutes due to a drone hovering above the ground.

With 31 minutes gone, the drone appeared above Brentford’s Community Stadium in west London, close to Heathrow Airport.

Referee Peter Bankes and fourth official Martin Atkinson ordered the players off the field in accordance with Premier League rules, with the stadium announcer confirming play had been stopped due to an “unofficial drone”.

Brentford v Wolverhampton Wanderers – Premier League – Brentford Community Stadium

Wolves manager Bruno Lage (left) and Brentford manager Thomas Frank (right) look up at the drone (Nick Potts/PA)

Both sets of players looked baffled with Wolves captain Conor Coady asking Bankes “what is going on?”

The teams eventually re-emerged at 3.50pm and had a brief warm-up before play restarted, with 19 minutes of the first half still remaining.

There had already been a six-minute delay after a sickening clash of heads between Brentford team-mates Mathias Jensen and Rico Henry which left both bleeding heavily.

Half-time arrived with the score goalless, 71 minutes after the match kicked off.