Goole Vikings confirm replica grenade discovery caused delay of kick-off against Whitehaven
Goole Vikings have confirmed the discovery of a replica grenade delayed their kick-off against Whitehaven.
The clubs were due to lock horns in a Championship fixture at 3pm yesterday (April 12), but the action did not get underway until 4:20pm.
24 minutes before the planned kick-off time, Goole advised fans not to arrive until 4pm “due to an incident at the Victoria Pleasure Ground that is currently being handled by the relevant authorities”. The game was later cleared to kick off and Goole fell to a 36-22 defeat.
In a statement, the Vikings have now offered a thorough explanation for the delay.
Goole Vikings explain delay
A club spokesperson said: “The club has issued the following statement in relation to Sunday’s delayed Championship fixture against Whitehaven RLFC at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds.
“Following routine pre-match safety inspections, carried out as part of the club’s standard matchday operations prior to gates opening to spectators, an unidentified, potentially explosive item was discovered by the club’s ground safety team.
“Contrary to some external reports, the item was located away from areas accessible to supporters and staff. However, due to its nature and proximity to a scheduled event, the club immediately activated its established emergency protocols.
“This process was led by the club’s ground safety officer, in coordination with the matchday stewarding team and board of directors. The immediate area was secured, and Humberside Police, the local authority and the Rugby Football League were contacted without delay.
“The stadium remained under controlled lockdown until specialist officers from the regional explosive ordnance disposal unit attended the site to assess the item.
“Following a full assessment, the device was confirmed to be a non-explosive replica grenade and was safely removed, with no further action required.”
‘Robust’ response
The Championship outfit have thanked all parties involved and said the incident response displayed the “effectiveness of the club’s robust safety and operational procedures”.
The Vikings said: “The response from all parties involved was swift, coordinated and highly professional. The club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to the club management, emergency services and local authority partners for their exceptional management of a highly unusual situation.
“The incident demonstrated the effectiveness of the club’s robust safety and operational procedures, ensuring that the welfare of supporters, players, staff and partners remained the absolute priority at all times.
“As a result of this coordinated response, disruption was kept to a minimum, with the fixture able to proceed and kick off less than 90 minutes after its scheduled time.
“The club also extends its thanks to both head coaches, players, staff and match officials for their professionalism and patience throughout - with both teams subsequently playing out an entertaining Championship match. We also thank our supporters and partners for their patience, understanding and continued support.
“While this was an unprecedented incident, the Victoria Pleasure Grounds remains a safe and secure venue. The club and the local authority look forward to continuing to welcome supporters to enjoy live sport at the ground, particularly as redevelopment works progress towards completion and further enhance the matchday experience.
“Incidents of this nature are extremely rare, but Sunday’s response reflects the high standards of planning, governance and safety management that underpin matchday operations at the club.”