A Championship rugby league clash between the Goole Vikings and Whitehaven was thrown into unexpected chaos on Sunday, resulting in an 80-minute delay after a startling discovery at the Victoria Pleasure Ground. A replica grenade was found next to the pitch, prompting a major security response and leaving fans and players in limbo.

Just 30 minutes before the scheduled 3:00 PM BST kick-off, the Goole club announced a delay due to "an incident" being handled by authorities, advising supporters not to arrive until 4:00 PM. Humberside Police swiftly established a cordon as a specialist team was called in to assess the suspicious item found near the ground's athletics track.

The tension was finally broken when police confirmed the object was a non-explosive replica and safely removed it. The all-clear allowed play to finally commence at 4:20 PM, with the club thanking everyone involved for their patience during the unprecedented disruption.

When the action did get underway, the Vikings couldn't capitalize on the extended wait, falling to a 36-22 defeat that leaves them 18th in the Championship table. It was a match day where the drama began long before the first tackle was made.