SNAKE invades pitch during football match
A confused match commentator first blamed a supporter for running on the pitch.
Footballers fled in a terrified hissy as an enormous snake invaded the pitch and interrupted play in Guatemala.
Players were filmed running out of the way of the serpent as it slithered across the grass towards them during the top-flight match.
The referee halted Nueva Concepcion’s league game against Municipal on 82 minutes when he spotted the unwelcome visitor.
A confused match commentator first blamed a supporter for running on the pitch.
But their colleague spotted the real reason and exclaimed: “What’s on the pitch is a snake - Guatemalan football has got about everything!”
One groundsman tried to take control of the reptile by ushering it away with a giant pole but struggled to contain it.
And the bizarre interruption finally ended when two police officers attempted to cut the snake's head off with riot shields normally used to contain people causing trouble rather than animals.
Fortunately, one of the firefighters who was also involved in the operation to remove it managed to grab the trespasser behind its head - before it was killed and any players were hurt - and took it away to cheers from spectators.
Concepcion refused to be rattled by the brief stoppage and held on to their 1-0 lead through added time to secure their first league win of the season.
It was unclear on Tuesday morning what had happened to the animal or how poisonous it's venom may have been.
In February 2019 Everton’s game against Wolves was held up by several minutes when a black cat appeared on the pitch.
Wolves won the match 3-1 but then-boss Nuno Espirito Santo said: “Where I come from in Portugal, the black cat is bad luck so I never want to see cats again.”
In 2013 a pine martin caused chaos when it wandered onto the pitch during a Swiss league encounter between FC Thun and FC Zurich.
The weasel-like creature evaded capture for five minutes and bit defender Loris Benito, who briefly managed to pick him up before it was left to gloved keeper David Da Costa to bring its antics to an end.
And in December that year, David Nugent brilliantly chased a squirrel off the pitch as Leicester continued their march to Championship promotion with a 1-0 win at QPR.
