TWO Huddersfield Town fans were hurt when an advertising hoarding crashed into spectators at the game in Northampton.

Strong winds stopped play after the large sign landed on the crowd, just before half-time in Saturday's Division III game, which kicked off at 3pm.

Both victims, who were in the away supporters' stand, were slightly injured in the drama at the Sixfields Stadium, said police.

In all, three signs were ripped off and sent flying into the ground by gales.

The game was abandoned after 39 minutes.

About 1,250 Town fans were thought to have travelled to the match.

Some havecomplained about the stewards' slow reaction to the situation and say staff should have spotted the danger sooner.

Robert Pepper, chairman of the Huddersfield Town Survival Trust, watched from the opposite side of the ground as the sign landed on fellow fans.

He estimated the section was about 10ft long, adding: "I could see it as it was coming off."

He said the sign appeared to be made of a weighty material.

"It was heavy enough to fall straight down, without being caught in the wind - and the winds were very strong."

He added: "If it had come down at a different angle it could have caused a very bad cut."

Mr Pepper said of stewards: "That particular incident was unusual, but they had no real perception of how to handle the crowd in the circumstances."

John Higginbottom, a 31-year- old civil engineer from Huddersfield, said the winds caused several boards to sway precariously.

"There was a loose advertising board on the top of the stadium and it fell down into the crowd," he said.

"It landed on the first row of the crowd. I didn't see anyone who was injured, but one lady was crying.

"There was another similar board loose, so they had to abandon the match."

Nigel Booth, 41, of Ripponden, was standing 20ft away from where the sign landed. He said it hit a man and woman and appeared to be made from metal measuring about 2ft by 8ft.

He said the stewards had noticed it coming loose earlier and were just about to evacuate spectators when it crashed down.

"It could have decapitated someone. Something like that could quite easily have killed somebody," said Mr Booth.

Town were trailing 0-1 when the game was hastily called off.

With Saturday's winds gusting up to 75mph across parts of Britain, many other sporting fixtures were affected.

One football fan, a 40-year-old man, was killed walking to Leicester City's Walkers Stadium for the match with Everton.

Stoke City's fixture against West Brom and the Burnley and Wimbledon match were both postponed, and the match between Mansfield and Oxford was abandoned ansd half time.

A spokesman at Stoke City said it was impossible for players to stand in the winds.