By Paul Jones
Cardiff City have put Welsh rivals Swansea City in the dock over another advertising hoarding collapse that injured Bluebirds striker Ollie Tanner.
Bluebirds substitute Tanner was left needing treatment to his shin after the boards toppled forward when fans rushed forward to celebrate a Cardiff equaliser in their 1-1 draw at Swansea.
The accident came just 24 hours after a very similar incident at Crystal Palace, where a ball- ball was pulled clear by West Ham players.
Cardiff's Ollie Tanner was momentarily injured after fans accidentally collapsed an advertising board celebrating the Bluebirds' equaliser in a feisty South Wales derby ⬇️https://t.co/HTwUwhemkP pic.twitter.com/ofjMqoJsjL
— Mirror Football (@MirrorFootball) August 25, 2024
Cardiff assistant coach Omer Riza pointed the finger at Swansea over what he claimed was a lack of security behind the goal.
“That’s a heavy sign that fell down there and Ollie’s got a big cut on his leg,” said Riza.
“You’re looking around and asking:’Potentially, should there be more security around the pitch so that fans can’t come towards the advertisement signs.
“Ollie is okay but he had to go off the pitch for 30 seconds and that could have hurt us in that period.”
Assist the equaliser 🅰️
Have the advertising board cut your leg in celebrating 😬
It doesn't matter one bit to Ollie Tanner! 😅#BBCFootball pic.twitter.com/MYbdvsUc1j— BBC Sport Wales (@BBCSportWales) August 25, 2024
Swansea head coach Luke Williams said: “There are two things. I’m happy that it goes over and you don’t hit something solid.
“There was a boy at Bath City, he 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.
“Secondly I think the injury is on the shin. I don’t know where the shin pads are because no players wear shin pads any more. I don’t think players have to wear shin pads because of advertising hoardings, by the way. It’s because people are kicking people in the shins. But the socks are down, there’s no shin pads.
“But 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 this weekend, also.
“Whenever you go down a road and it has speed bumps it means there was an accident, and when there are speed cameras it means people are driving too fast.
“So, I guess there will be a reaction to this now by the authorities and safety officers who will decide what’s best.
"We probably done enough to win the game"
Swansea manager Luke Williams says his side 'needs more consistency' after drawing 1-1 with Cardiff 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/3XZd7OXzdv
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) August 25, 2024