Fire fear ends Castleford match early

Castleford’s match against Wakefield was cut short seven minutes early due to fears of a fire inside the ground.

According to a club statement, there were concerns that a bulb in one of the floodlights above the Princess Street Stand was on fire, which resulted in the evacuation of the stand on the advice of the fire service.

Wakefield led 37-16 at the time, and must now wait for the RFL to decide whether the result will stand.

The Castleford statement in full: “Castleford Tigers wish to explain the reason for the early finish of Friday’s match with Wakefield Wildcats.

“Following concerns that a bulb in one of the floodlights above the Princess Street Stand was on fire, the Club acted swiftly on the advice of the Fire Service to evacuate the stand and allow them to inspect the floodlight in question. Upon inspection the Fire Service said that it was not on fire.

“After consultations between the match officials and coaches of both teams, the decision was made to finish the game with just over seven minutes remaining with player safety in mind given the delay in play that already occurred.

“Although the Club understands that the RFL will determine whether the result shall stand, Castleford Tigers are in favour of the result standing.”