Brentford have contacted the police after a rugby ball was kicked from a nearby rooftop towards the pitch during their Premier League match against Liverpool on Saturday, describing the incident as “dangerous” and “potentially very harmful”.
Footage circulating on social media appears to show a man standing on a rooftop near the Gtech Community Stadium kicking the ball towards the pitch, while other people nearby laugh and cheer. A separate clip from inside the ground shows a member of staff removing the rugby ball from the playing area as the match continued.
The incident took place during a game that ended in a 2-1 defeat for Brentford, with Alexander Isak scoring a late winner for Liverpool after the visitors came from behind to beat the nine-man hosts.
In a statement, Brentford confirmed that the matter had been referred to the police and that the club would support the investigation to identify those responsible.
No further details about the individuals involved or any potential arrests have been confirmed in the information available.
The unusual incident added to a difficult afternoon for Brentford, who saw both Yehor Yarmolyuk and Vitaly Janelt sent off in the second half before Isak's late goal settled the contest.
The defeat left the Bees sixth in the Premier League table, one place behind Liverpool, who moved above them with the win.