‘If your team could use someone who isn’t afraid to dive in, I’d absolutely love to connect’
A Lord’s steward who tackled a Just Stop Oil protestor to the ground during the second Ashes test has turned the moment into a witty LinkedIn post.
On Wednesday, three environmental activists ran onto the field of play at Lord’s after the first over of the day, attempting to disrupt proceedings at another high-profile sporting event.
Whilst one of the pitch invaders was promptly grabbed by England player Jonny Bairstow and carried off the pitch, another was tackled to the ground by steward Finlay Andrews.
Making the most of his eventful day in the job, he went to the platform famous for people humble-bragging about their achievements at work – LinkedIn.
In a post, he wrote: “I’m pretty sure this wasn’t on the job description when I signed up for a couple of hospitality shifts at The Ashes this summer whilst on the hunt for a different kind of ‘runner’ role.
“If your team could use someone who isn’t afraid to dive in, I’d absolutely love to connect.”
Among other things, Finlay said the incident demonstrated how he is “unflinching in the face of challenge,” “willing to sprint into uncertainty,” and “quick to adapt in new environments.”
Sharing the post on Twitter, one person labelled it the “best LinkedIn post ever.”
The protesters threw orange chalk on the pitch, and there was a brief delay in the match as groundsmen used a leaf blower to clean the pitch up and Bairstow went to the changing rooms to change out of his orange-stained whites.
The Metropolitan police later confirmed that three people were arrested following the incident on suspicion of aggravated trespass and public nuisance.
Superintendent Gerry Parker, Metropolitan Police Service, said on Wednesday: “Today has yet again seen more criminal and disruptive behaviour by Just Stop Oil. Three of its members forced the cricket match at Lord’s Cricket Ground to stop play by running onto the outfield and opening a bag of powder dye.
“Entering the field of play is reckless and potentially endangers those who are playing, working within the stadium and the protesters themselves.
“We will not tolerate criminal or anti-social behaviour. There are consequences for those who engage in criminal acts. If caught, you will be arrested and our specialist detectives will thoroughly investigate and ensure we have the strongest evidence against you for prosecution.”
In their own statement, the MCC said they “condemn in the strongest possible terms” the protest. CEO Guy Lavender said the activists’ actions “not only endanger themselves and those who work at the ground, but they have consistently shown complete disregard for the people who pay to attend events.”
Related links:
Man pours milk over the heads of Just Stop Oil protesters
Just Stop Oil ‘slow walk’ protests take up over 13,000 Met Police shifts and cost taxpayer £4.5m
