Football match suspended after referee collapsed

They say lightning never strikes the same place twice, but for League Two side Bromley, its struck three times this season. During Bromleys clash with Cambridge United on Saturday, referee Declan Bourne was forced off after collapsing on the pitch with a knee injury, the third time this season a referee has been injured during one of the Ravens matches. With the hosts leading 21, play was suddenly halted as Bourne went down clutching his leg. Medical staff rushed onto the field, and the stadium announcer called out for a qualified matchgoer to step in and take over as the fourth official, while one of the assistant referees took charge of the whistle. On Bromleys official social media account, the club posted: For the THIRD time this season, if there is a qualified official in the stadium, please make yourself known. After a ten-minute delay, the game resume, with an incredible 15 minutes of stoppage time added on, as Bourne was helped off by medical staff.  Despite the disruption, Cambridge United held on for a 21 victory, their fourth consecutive home win. Shayne Lavery opened the scoring in the second minute, and Kylian Kouassi doubled the lead just before half-time. Bromleys Michael Cheek, last seasons League Two Player of the Year, pulled one back after the break, but the visitors couldnt find an equaliser. Its the third referee injury to hit Bromley this season, the first came on August 2 at Shrewsbury, and the second occurred the following week at Hayes Lane during a match against Barnet. Reacting to the bizarre streak, Bromley manager Andy Woodman told club media: When youre chasing two goals its tough. We got the first one and had the momentum, and then unfortunately the ref got injured again and had to go off. Third time this season [thats happened to us]. Hope hes alright, but that lost a bit of momentum for us again. Even Bromleys social media team joined in the humour, tagging the Guinness World Records on X (formerly Twitter) to ask if the club now holds a record for the unluckiest streak of referee injuries in a single season.The post Football match suspended after referee collapsed appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.