There was one bizarre reason that the League One match, between Fleetwood Town and Burton Albion, was temporarily halted.
This weekend was saw the opening EFL matches played out, again with no fans in the stands due to the coronavirus pandemic.
There was a 60 second delay at the Cod Army’s Highbury Stadium due to apples being thrown onto the pitch, and for a long while, no one could understand how it got there.
73. Slight pause in play as some apples that have been thrown onto the pitch from…somewhere?…are picked up by a core member of staff.
After a brief peel away from the action, we’re back underway. #BAFC
— Burton Albion FC (@burtonalbionfc) September 12, 2020
The League One match was held up in the 73rd minute while the projectiles were removed from the field of play before Fleetwood went on to pip the Brewers with just over 10 minutes to play out.
Despite the game being played behind closed doors, supporters were able to reach the pitch by getting fruit from their local shop outside the ground.
Sky Sports reporter Chris Cooper said: “They looked like Golden Delicious.”
The match finished 2-1 to Fleetwood thanks to Paddy Madden’s 79th minute winner helped Joey Barton’s side defeat Burton to claim all three points.
Callum Camps gave the hosts the lead on 17 minutes but Fleetwood were pegged back after the hour mark by John Brayford’s goal.
John-Joe O’Toole was handed a red card for Burton in injury time for a high boot on Mark Duffy, as Fleetwood held on for the win.
Despite the game including a red card and an overturned goal decision, apples being hurled onto the pitch stole the headlines.
The EFL has seen its fair share of weird incidents in recent years, including pigs and tennis balls chucked onto the pitch, but this could be the pick of the bunch.
“Apples on the pitch!” ?
There was a very odd reason for the pause in play in Fleetwood vs Burton…
? Soccer Saturday on Sky Sports News NOW! pic.twitter.com/6W1Slyc6H1
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 12, 2020
Burton Albion’s Twitter account also joined in on the fun with some apple-related puns.
They tweeted: “Apples thrown onto the pitch from…somewhere?… are picked up by a core member of staff.
“After a brief peel away from the action, we’re back underway.”
“At home you want to get off to a decent start, especially after the disappointment of missing out in the play-offs last year,” Joey Barton said after the game.
“You always worry how the first league game after that will go, you wonder if there’s pity or sorrow in the group but to be fair to the lads the way they started the game was outstanding.
“I thought up until five or 10 minutes into the second half when Burton started to get a foothold – as you’d expect because they’ve got some good quality players – we were really good.
“We had that disappointment of Burton equalising but we showed the character to go up the other end and get the winning goal.
“We were probably a tad unfortunate not to have more, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a team of mine hit the bar and post and have so many cleared off the line. Thankfully we got maximum points though.”
Fans reacted after reading the bizarre reason this League One match was temporarily halted…
Let’s hope Fleetwood don’t crumble
— Don VDB (@LesseJingard) September 12, 2020
I hope Fleetwood don’t pip you for the points.
— JPK (@Greno1966) September 12, 2020
? core member of staff
— Adrian Torr (@Torrnando) September 12, 2020
I bet it was that Granny Smith who was throwing them
— Ross Fox (@rossfox25) September 12, 2020
What type of apple ?
— john parslow (@hornetboy84) September 12, 2020
Pay rise for admin
— Sam (@sw0269) September 12, 2020
Whose cider you on?
— Don Edmondson (@KGPhotoUK) September 12, 2020
Fleetwood game delayed by apples being thrown on to a pitch from outside the stadium.
Love the comment they looked like golden delicious ???
I’ve missed unique football commentary.— Katy Louise (@Kaytea21) September 12, 2020
Fleetwood vs Burton delayed by “fans throwing apples onto the pitch” (in an empty stadium)
— david oliver (@mancunianmedic) September 12, 2020
There was a cup game at Walsall about 10 years ago where 50 footballs landed on the pitch from outside the ground
— David Huggan (@DavidHuggan1) September 13, 2020
That’s just rotten.
— Nick Allen (@NickAllen224) September 12, 2020
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