Cardiff City have questioned the security arrangements at the home of rivals Swansea City, after Ollie Tanner suffered a cut leg when an advertising board fell on him amid goal celebrations in Sunday’s south Wales derby.
Tanner set up fellow substitute Callum Robinson’s 79th-minute equaliser in the 1-1 draw, but the winger was injured during the ensuing celebrations as Cardiff fans behind the goal ran towards the players and the hoarding gave way.
The Cardiff first-team coach, Omer Riza, said: “You’re looking around and saying, ‘Potentially should there be more security around the pitch?’ So fans can’t come towards the advertisement signs. That’s a heavy sign that fell down there and Ollie’s got a big cut on his leg.”
Riza was deputising for Erol Bulut on post-match media duties after the Bluebirds manager was sent off in stoppage time. He added: “[Ollie is] OK, he continued and carried on, but he had to go off the pitch for 30 seconds and that could have hurt us in that period. All things we can look at to improve.”
The incident came 24 hours after a ballboy was trapped under an advertising board after fans spilled on to the pitch at Selhurst Park during West Ham’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace. The youngster had to be rescued by visiting players Jarrod Bowen and Tomas Soucek.
The Swansea manager, Luke Williams believes safety around the perimeter of pitches will need to be looked into after the weekend’s events. “It’s something that has to be looked at by security officers of all clubs because there was an incident at the West Ham game as well,” Williams said.
On the collapsing advertising board, Williams added: “I’m also happy that it goes over and you don’t hit something solid. There was a boy at Bath City [Alex Fletcher] who hit a brick wall around the edge of the pitch and ended in hospital with a serious head injury. The fact that it goes over is safer.”
Bulut was sent off after tangling with the Swansea substitute Kyle Naughton in the fifth of seven minutes added on at the end of the game. “We think it’s a bit harsh. He was pulled on the pitch by Naughton, and the player put his hands on him,” said Riza. “To get a red card there is quite harsh, and I think he will appeal.”
Swansea had led through Liam Cullen’s 10th-minute tap-in and were on course to make it six wins from seven derby games before Robinson’s leveller. “It’s a changing room like we’ve lost,” Williams said. “We didn’t continue to control the game properly and put pressure on Cardiff.”
Robinson was sent off in this fixture in October 2022 for throwing the ball at Swansea’s Ben Cabango, his seventh-minute dismissal paving the way for a 2-0 Cardiff defeat. The 29-year-old atoned for that moment of madness by sweeping home Tanner’s cross 11 minutes from time.
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Cullen prodded home for the hosts after neat buildup play found Brazilian winger Ronald in space. His shot was pushed back into play by Cardiff keeper Ethan Horvath, presenting the Swansea striker with the simplest of finishes.
Cardiff had not savoured derby success in front of a Swansea crowd since February 2011 – their only victory here since coming behind closed doors in March 2021. The Bluebirds struggled to match Swansea’s early fluency on Sunday, with Matt Grimes controlling matters in midfield.
The visitors’ disjointed look was perhaps no surprise given five summer arrivals were among their starters, with centre-back Jesper Daland thrown straight in following his midweek move from Cercle Brugge. Horvath tipped away Josh Tymon’s menacing cross, and Ronald should have done better from Josh Key’s centre.
Early in the second half, Ronald twice blazed over and the Brazilian failed to pick out the unmarked Cullen. Cardiff turned to their bench with Wales international Rubin Colwill and Tanner, who scored in the Bluebirds’ derby win last September, sent on to provide attacking impetus.
The double substitution worked to perfection as Colwill and Tanner combined and Robinson ended a 14-game scoreless streak to secure Cardiff’s first point of the season – and prompt scenes in the away end that ultimately overshadowed the result.
