A Championship rugby league match between Goole Vikings and Whitehaven was delayed by 80 minutes on Sunday after a replica grenade was discovered near the pitch.
Goole Vikings announced the delay just 30 minutes before the scheduled 15:00 BST kick-off, citing "an incident at the Victoria Pleasure Ground that is currently being handled by the relevant authorities." Supporters were advised to postpone their arrival until 16:00 BST.
Humberside Police responded to reports of a possible grenade found in the area. A security cordon was established while a specialist team examined the item, which was later confirmed to be a non-explosive replica and safely removed.
The object was located near the ground's athletics track during a routine pre-match safety inspection. Play eventually commenced at 16:20 BST, with fans returning to the stadium shortly before kick-off.
"The response from all parties involved was swift, co-ordinated and highly professional," Goole stated on Monday. "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."
Despite the dramatic pre-match events, the Vikings suffered a 36-22 defeat, leaving them in 18th position in the Championship standings.