A Leeds United fan was taken to hospital last night after he fell from the top tier of the away end at Stamford Bridge during the celebrations of Leeds' first goal of the night. The fan, who is yet to be named, was tumbled over the tier after Mateo Joseph gave the Whites an unexpected early lead with cameras picking up the incident in the aftermath of the goal.
As is customary in the FA Cup, Leeds were given a larger away allocation for the fifth-round clash which meant their supporters took up the entire Shed End. It's unclear what caused the supporter to fall over the top tier from the footage available but it didn't appear that any other fans were hurt in the incident with the supporter falling on to a section of empty seats near the corner flag.
A Leeds fan fell from the upper tier at Stamford Bridge last night celebrating a goal😳
Hope he’s okay. pic.twitter.com/Gp5nuQRicT
— Football Away Days (@AwayDays_) February 29, 2024
In a statement released after the match, both Leeds United and Chelsea posted:
“Leeds United can confirm an incident involving a Leeds United supporter occurred in the Shed End of Stamford Bridge during the first half of tonight's FA Cup game. The incident is being investigated and is in the hands of the emergency services.”
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan Police said:
“Officers, alongside paramedics and staff from Chelsea FC, responded to an injured man in the away end during the match with Leeds United on Wednesday, 28 February. The man was taken to hospital for treatment. We await an update on his condition. His family has been informed.”
A disturbing pattern emerging
It isn't the first time this season that a fan has fallen over the top of an upper-tier in an away end with a Maidstone United supporter doing exactly the same when his team played Ipswich at Portman Road in January.
Explaining what had happened on that occasion, the supporter in question, John Ryan, said: “People run forward like they do when you score, and I think I might have got a shove from behind and I fell over.”
There has been some speculation on social media that the obsession with “limbs” in stands has resulted in people overdoing it to get acknowledged online. A knock-on effect of that is fans putting themselves and others in danger, especially in away ends that span two tiers.