The Premier League meeting between Everton and Newcastle was delayed in bizarre circumstances when a protester wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan ‘Just Stop Oil’ attached himself by the neck to one of the goalposts.
The game at Goodison Park was in the early stages of the second half when the man charged onto the pitch before fastening himself to the upright using a zip tie.
Stewards and security staff intervened as bemused players watched on, with a delay of more than five minutes as attempts were made to free the man.
A pair of bolt cutters were brought onto the pitch but seemingly made no impact before stewards eventually managed to cut the man loose.
The intruder dropped to his knees in another sign of defiance, although the scenes took a twist when another supporter charged onto the pitch in an apparent attempt to remonstrate with the protester.
Protest group Just Stop Oil claimed responsibility for the stunt, writing on its Twitter account that the man was a 21-year-old named Louis.
“Today, a young supporter of Just Stop Oil ran onto the pitch during the Everton vs Newcastle game to draw attention to the group's demand that the Government must end all new fossil fuel supply projects,” the group wrote.
The long-haired youth was eventually hauled away by security as the match was allowed to continue, as Everton picked up a crucial three points in their relegation battle thanks to a 99th-minute winner from striker Alex Iwobi – a goal which manager Frank Lampard later revealed he had broken his hand celebrating.
The Goodison Park protest follows similar scenes at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium in London on Wednesday night, when a man charged onto the pitch and attempted to fix himself to a goalpost, but security staff dragged him away before he could do so.
Just Stop Oil also claimed one of its supporters – a student named Kai – was behind the action.
“Sorry to have interrupted your game, but no one listens unless we do crazy s**t like this,” the group Tweeted.