Swedish playoff match descends into chaos as fences are torn down and pitch set on fire

Norrköpings supporters during Saturday's qualifying match for the Allsvenskan against Örgryte IS
Norrköpings supporters during Saturday's qualifying match for the Allsvenskan against Örgryte ISBjörn Larsson Rosvall/TT / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia

The return leg in the playoff match for the Allsvenskan between Orgryte IS and IFK Norrköping descended into chaos as the match was stopped on several occasions, and crowd trouble broke out with supporters tearing down a fence and setting the artificial pitch on fire.

Örgryte went into Saturday's game with a 3-0 victory in the bag, and although no goals were scored in the second leg, it was anything but uneventful.

The match was interrupted in the first half when Orgryte's fans tore down a fence by the away stand. 

In the middle of the first half, the game was interrupted again - this time after a loud explosion inside the stadium, and the players were sent to the dressing rooms to ensure their safety.

Shortly after, it was to be discussed whether to continue the match or not, and after a few minutes, it was decided to play on until the half-time whistle.

The start of the second half was then postponed as a spectator became ill in the stands, but after a while it was announced that he had been taken to the hospital for further care. 

In the closing stages of the second half, a large number of flares were thrown onto the pitch, and the artificial turf caught fire. 

The security staff extinguished the fire while the players left the pitch again and went to the dressing rooms.

After a long break and another meeting about what should happen, it was decided to restart the game, but it didn't last long before it was interrupted again. 

On countless occasions, the match had to be interrupted due to plares being thrown onto the pitch, and this time it took over an hour before the game could get underway, as it was decided that the home stand had to be cleared of spectators before the match could resume.

The match ended goalless, and consequently IFK Norrköping was relegated while Örgryte secured promotion. 

The match began at 15:00 CET, but due to the many interruptions, it was not finished until four and a half hours later. 

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