Man dies after being taken unwell during Leyton Orient v Lincoln match
A man has died after being taken unwell towards the end of Leyton Orient and Lincoln’s abandoned Sky Bet League One match at Brisbane Road, the London Ambulance Service has confirmed.
A fan ran on the pitch towards referee Stephen Martin to draw attention to the fact that a member of the public needed medical attention in the East Stand.
The match then continued for less than a minute before around 20 supporters sat down on the pitch at the home end to alert the referee to the continuing medical emergency, with play soon halted.
As paramedics appeared to give the man CPR on the side of the pitch, the referee took the teams off the field.
The match was abandoned an hour after the initial stoppage occurred and as the fans left the ground, the medical teams were still in attendance.
A London Ambulance Service spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday the man had later been pronounced dead.
“We were called yesterday at 9:28pm to reports of a person becoming unwell at Leyton Orient Football Club, on Brisbane Road,” a London Ambulance Service spokesperson said in a statement.
“We sent a number of resources to the scene, including an incident response officer, two medics in fast-response cars and an ambulance crew. Our first medic arrived in approximately four minutes.
“We treated a man at the scene, but very sadly, despite our teams’ best efforts, he was later pronounced dead.”
Leyton Orient were leading 1-0 when the game was stopped, through an early goal from Joe Pigott.
The English Football League will determine whether the fixture will be rescheduled, or if the result at the time of the abandonment will stand. The decision will be taken only after consultation with both clubs.
Guidance is in place for clubs if a supporter becomes unwell in a stadium, with local circumstances determining the action taken.
It is strongly advised the nearest steward is made aware, who will ensure that the crowd medical team is notified and that appropriate care is provided.
Then should a situation arise where there is a need for the match to be halted, a decision will be taken between the crowd medical team, the ground safety team and the match officials, with the information relayed to the supporters at the ground. The EFL will also be informed at this point.
All clubs have a matchday medical plan with dedicated crowd medical teams in the stadium, ready to assist at any point during the match.
Leyton Orient issued a statement on Tuesday evening following the decision to abandoned the game.
“The thoughts of everyone at Leyton Orient Football Club are with the individual involved and their loved ones at this distressing time,” the statement read.
“The club would like to thank all supporters in attendance at Brisbane Road this evening for the understanding and compassion shown, during a very difficult situation.
“The club will provide a further update in due course.”
