Everton v Newcastle delayed as fan tied to post in oil protest

Everton’s English Premier League match against Newcastle has been held up by a pitch invader attaching himself to the goalframe at Goodison Park.

The spectator – wearing a T-shirt with a protest slogan – ran onto the pitch with the crucial relegation encounter scoreless and halted play for seven minutes by tying himself to the post with cable ties around his neck.

Stewards and match staff struggled to detach the oil campaign protestor with cutting equipment and another fan also attempted to get access to the pitch before calm was restored and the match resumed.

The restless crowd were already on edge by the action on the field with Frank Lampard’s struggling side aiming to move clear of Watford and the relegation zone, but being held at home by Eddie Howe’s Magpies.

Winger Ryan Fraser started for Newcastle after being omitted from Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for next week’s internationals but Nathan Patterson, who was selected, started on the bench for Everton.

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