Leyton Orient’s League One clash with Wycombe was suspended due to an unusual injury suffered by the linesman. The assistant referee pulled up with a muscle injury just 20 minutes into the match. Orient confirmed the break in play on social media as the fourth official prepared to take over.
However, there was a delay in resuming the match as the fourth official seemed to have left his boots in the changing room, causing chaos. Eventually, the fourth official was able to take to the touchline and the game resumed after a few minutes. At the time of the incident, the score was still 0-0.
The two teams came into the match in the bottom half of the table following the Boxing Day fixtures. A win for Leyton Orient could have seen them move into the top half, while Wycombe was chasing three crucial points to move away from the relegation zone. Wycombe found themselves five points above the drop zone after a 1-0 loss at Exeter.
This incident follows a similar one in the Championship earlier this month, where the referee disappeared down the tunnel during Norwich’s win over Sheffield Wednesday. Fans were left bemused as the referee had to fix an equipment malfunction before the hour mark.