Organisers say hysteria caused field invasion

Sports

PRIME Minister’s 13 organisers say fear of a light tower collapsing was what caused fans to enter the field in the 21st minute of Saturday’s game at the NFS.
“At a point during the first half of the match, some spectators observed the movement of clouds high up above the light tower on the north west corner of the stadium,” a statement from venue owner Oil Search said.
“The relative movement of the cloud formation behind the stationary light tower gave the illusion of the light tower moving/falling towards them.”
The optical illusion was observed by fans including some players which added to the mass hysteria.
“The situation was inadvertently amplified, creating a chain reaction of panic in spectators who genuinely but mistakenly believed the tower was about to fall on them.”
The disruption was brought under control, following a coordinated effort by police, security, the fans themselves and venue staff
After the perceived threat had passed, and calm had been restored, the spectators were directed back to their seats and the game was able to resume.
The interruption to the game spanned under 10 minutes.
Organisers commended fans for their beavhiour throughout the incident.