'Why did the match go on as my brother was dying?'

Mark Townsend died during a match between Sheffield Wednesday and West Bromwich Albion

The brother of a West Bromwich Albion fan who died after falling ill during a match in the Sheffield Wednesday ground has called for a full inquiry into the club's “failings” and “lack of safety protocols”.

Baggies season ticket holder Mark Townsend, 57, suffered a medical emergency in the stands during the game at Hillsborough on 28 September.

Speaking to the BBC, his brother Steve Townsend criticised the club for not pausing the match during the incident and claimed staff did not have sufficient training to handle the emergency.

Sheffield Wednesday has been approached for comment.

As the emergency unfolded, Mr Townsend, from Harborne, unknowingly watched on TV as a commentator announced a commotion was taking place in the away section of the stadium.

Within minutes he received a devastating call from his son, informing him that his brother had collapsed and was no longer breathing.

Listening over the phone, he heard fellow fans’ attempts to administer CPR for about 10 minutes before paramedics arrived at the scene.

“I could hear the commotion going on in the background, to people shouting at stewards to get help and shouting that it was urgent,” he recalled.

The avid football fan was taken to hospital where he died a short while later.

The Baggies paid tribute to Mark Townsend ahead of their Championship match against Middlesbrough FC

Mr Townsend is not the only one with concerns, West Bromwich fans at the match have raised questions over why it was not stopped, and the length of time it took for medical teams to reach Mark.

He is now calling for coroners to carry out a full inquest hearing into his brother’s death and for an inquiry to be opened into how Sheffield Wednesday handled it.

He said: “With a ground that is synonymous with a tragedy such as Hillsborough, you would think it would be one of the safest grounds in the country to go to and it turns out it really isn't.

“There is a sad lack of a duty of care towards fans.

“I’d like to see an investigation into the failings of whether it's staff, facilities or protocols that they've got, it shouldn't be happening with the amount of money you pay to watch a game of football - you shouldn't be in fear of your life.

“There should be defibrillators to suit the size of the ground that should be available and well marked out.

“It sounds like the staff had no first aid training, it took an off-duty paramedic, an off duty doctor and somebody who had done some first aid training to be the first port of call and that shouldn’t be the case.”

An applause was held during the 57th minute of the match against Middlesbrough FC

Under English Football League protocols, clubs have matchday medical plans in place.

The protocols state that in the event of a medical emergency the game should continue "unless the welfare of the supporter in question is specifically affected by the continuation of the match."

They go on to say: "While sometimes the stoppage of play may seem like the appropriate action, other safety and privacy matters must be considered, including the impact of a suspension on crowd movements in stairwells and concourses, and the impact on local road access caused by crowds leaving the stadium."

Following the death, West Brom players wore black armbands for their match against Middlesbrough on Tuesday and held an applause in the 57th minute.

A fundraiser set up by a Sheffield Wednesday fan for Mr Townsend's family has raised more than £2,300.

The Wednesday Week podcaster, Ash Rogers, said supporters of both teams had pulled together to donate.