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Archived News from April 2003

MORE ON THE MAN WHO CAUSED ABANDONMENT
27th April 2003 15:37


Man charged over floodlight climb
BBC website

Police have charged a man over the abandonment of a Second Division football match on Saturday.

About 7,500 fans were watching Tranmere Rovers play Mansfield Town at Prenton Park when a man climbed up a pylon and on to the roof of the Cow Shed stand.

The fans were asked to leave at half time after police, in liaison with the referee, decided the public's safety was at risk.

Stephen James Anglesey, of Pennine Road, Tranmere, Wirral, is due before Wirral magistrates on Monday.

The 42-year-old is charged with threatening behaviour, being drunk at a designated sporting event and aggravated trespass.
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The CHAD is reporting that the man who forced the abandonment is a 'a serial climber'

THE 'supporter' whose stupid actions in scaling a floodlight and jumping onto the roof of a stand, leading to the abandonement of this afternoon's Mansfield Town match at Tranmere Rovers, has been labelled a 'serial climber'.

Fire officers called to the Prenton Park ground to bring the man to safety, after he refused to leave the roof of a stand, said he had done this before.

It has been reported that the man was recently rescued from a church steeple in Liverpool after another climbing escapade, and has also been spotted on the roof of a stand during a match at Liverpool's Anfield.

Angry Stags' fans were forced to evacuate their stand after match officials failed to 'talk him down'.

The referee then decided to abandon the game for safety reasons, after a 30-minute hold-up, with the score 2-0 to Tranmere at half-time.

The man is now in police custody.

This is not the first time that the Stags, who were relegated this afternoon by victories for Chesterfield and Cheltenham, have been involved in an unusual abandonement.

Last season their match at Southend United was called off after the referee collapsed and died on the pitch.

 

Latest | April 2003