Coroner lists 'concerns' with Sheffield Wednesday staff as West Bromwich Albion fan dies at Championship match
An inquest into the death of a West Bromwich Albion supporter at Hillsborough Stadium has prompted a senior coroner to raise her concerns with Sheffield Wednesday.
On September 28, 2024, Mark Townsend collapsed around 20 minutes into a Championship match between the Baggies and the Owls.
He went into cardiac arrest, and was assisted by an off-duty doctor and an off-duty paramedic before a paramedic from the contracted medical provider at the stadium arrived.
The 56-year-old was taken to Northern General Hospital, where tragically he passed away.
An inquest which concluded on October 10 this year highlighted a number of issues in how the situation was managed during the match.
It has prompted senior coroner Tanyka Rawden to release a ‘prevention of future deaths’ report - a document compiled to help point out potential failings that could result in further tragedies.
This report has been addressed to Sheffield Wednesday Football Club.
In her report, Mrs Rawden specifically pointed out a seeming lack of coordination between the Hillsborough stewards, highlighting how CCTV footage revealed that when alerted to the medical incident a steward struggled to find a member of staff with a radio.
According to her findings, it took 20 seconds for the steward to find a supervisor with a radio, with a call for medical assistance being made 11 seconds later.
“The court found this period of time did not cause or contribute to Mark’s death, but has concerns that delays caused by stewards not being aware where the nearest radio is could cause delays in summonsing medical help in the future, and that may give rise to a risk of future deaths,” the report reads.
“In my opinion action should be taken to prevent future deaths and I believe your organisation have the power to take such action.”
The football club now has until December 8 to respond with details of what actions they have or intend to take.