Brother of football fan who died during match at Sheffield Wednesday stadium calls for inquiry

The brother of the Mark Townsend, a West Bromwich Albion fan who died during a match at the weekend, reflects on the heartbreaking day, as Dan Salisbury-Jones reports.

On the morning of West Bromwich Albion's trip to Sheffield Wednesday, Steve Townsend was at home being teased by his brother for missing such a big away day.

Mark was heading to Hillsborough with his nephew, Steve's son, Matthew.

They sent a photo from their breakfast in Barnsley and then the one that Steve has repeatedly looked at for days.

This photo is full of excitement and joy. Mark and Matthew's selfie from the Leppings Lane end.

It was sent just 15 minutes before kick-off. It is the last photo the family has of Mark.

Steve was watching at home when the commentary team said there was a commotion in the away end and a fan appeared to be very ill. He hoped the fan would be OK and then his phone rang.

"It's my son Matthew telling me that my brother, his uncle, has collapsed and he's not breathing. I could hear all this going on in the background people shouting asking for help, I could even hear the crowd saying 'stop the game, stop the game'."

"I could hear the crowd going 'stop the game'"

The game wasn't stopped but an off-duty paramedic who was watching Albion stepped into help. Steve says it took 10-12 minutes before the stadium's medics and a defibrillator arrived.

Speaking exclusively to ITV News Central, Steve said: "It's a little bit too late to bring my brother back but I'd like to think they'd be moving heaven and earth to put right what's gone wrong to make sure it doesn't happen again.

"I've heard from numerous fans who were in close proximity. I could hear them screaming for assistance and for it to take 10 minutes in this day and age, it shouldn't happen. One of those stewards should've been trained, it shouldn't take someone from the travelling contingent in a tier below to come up the stairs and start administering first aid."

Steve wants a Coroner's Inquest to find out the full details of what happened and for a review across the country of how football stadiums respond to medical emergencies like this.

"Something needs to be seriously looked at in the failings that have happened at Hillsborough and I'm saying that as a football fan, not just someone that's lost his brother."

I ask if he's heard anything reassuring from Sheffield Wednesday since.

"Nothing, nothing at all and that tells me everything I need to know about the club. I've had lots of well wishes from Wednesday fans but nothing from official sources of Sheffield Wednesday."

"Something needs to be seriously looked at in the failings at Hillsborough"

Last night's game at the Hawthorns between Albion and Middlesbrough did stop. In the 57th minute a tribute was made to Mark, who was 57-years-old.

"If ever there was a send off, that was a send off, it's helped the family a lot."

The Townsend family were invited as guests of the club, spending time with owner Shilen Patel and the directors.

"I've always thought the Albion were a family club and they reaffirmed that with authority last night. We felt like part of a family, we felt like we'd known them for years."

His energy is now going into supporting his relatives and fighting for change after what happened to his brother.

"I will be pushing as hard as I can for the inquiry that I feel is needed, how long that will take I don't know but I'm in for the long haul on it to get a bit of justice for my brother and to make sure that no other football fan has to go through what we're going through."

Sheffield Wednesday referred us to the statement they released at the weekend: "First and foremost, the thoughts of everyone at Sheffield Wednesday remain with the loved ones of Mr Townsend and the wider West Bromwich Albion community.

“The club continue to liaise with West Bromwich Albion and all relevant parties as we collectively establish the full circumstances regarding this tragic loss of life."

A spokesperson for the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA) said: “We are deeply saddened by the tragic death of the spectator at the Sheffield Wednesday v West Brom match on the weekend, and our condolences are with his family and friends at this time.

“Ensuring spectator safety at sports ground is the priority for the SGSA. In 2022, the SGSA published guidance which provides stadium safety teams with considerations for dealing with medical incidents that occur in the crowd.

"The guidance does not seek to direct Safety Officers on the decisions to be made as these will need to be dynamic risk-based decisions, but it outlines the plans and briefings that should be in place before and during the match to help support the decision-making process."

"The guidance is reviewed and updated as necessary in partnership with the other relevant footballing bodies.”

Sheffield City Council have also been approached for comment.

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