United midfielder Michael Brown and defender Robert Ullathorne suffered injuries that meant they could no longer take part in the match.

Because United had already used all of their allowed substitutions, referee Eddie Wolstenholme, who had already declined to send off both Brown and captain Keith Curle for clear red-card offences, was forced to abandon the match in the 82nd minute, as dictated by the rules of the game.

[5] Santos underwent a five-and-a-half-hour operation on a double fracture of his eye socket, and spoke with his lawyers about the possibility of taking legal action.

Then the last one I told him that you do realise I’m going to have to abandon the game if you go off Nine minutes into the match, United goalkeeper Simon Tracey was sent off by referee Eddie Wolstenholme for deliberately handling the ball outside the penalty area and denying Albion an obvious goalscoring opportunity.

Sheffield United manager Neil Warnock sent on the substitute keeper, Wilko de Vogt, in place of striker Peter Ndlovu.

Soon after, United captain Keith Curle was fortunate to avoid a sending off after appearing to throw punches at McInnes, as was Michael Brown for a foul on the same player, clambering over him as Albion made a breakaway.

[18] Writing for the BBC, journalist Phil McNulty said he believed Neil Warnock and Sheffield United should face heavy punishment, and argued for a points deduction.

[2] Speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph, referee Eddie Wolstenholme said he was correct in sending off all three of the United players, and knew immediately that, once Ullathorne was leaving the field due to injury, he would be forced to abandon the match.

[22] Warnock described the comments as "disgraceful" and accused Megson of hypocrisy,[23] drawing comparisons between his situation and that of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the September 11 attacks, which had occurred six months earlier.

[26] Warnock placed Santos on the transfer list, and told Suffo he would never play for United again,[27] and it marked the final time either player appeared for the club.

[30] Less than two months after the match, Suffo left United and joined Spanish club Numancia,[31] while Santos was released in the summer and ultimately signed for Grimsby Town following a trial period.

[34] Following United's midweek victory against Millwall, Warnock expressed his displeasure regarding the reaction he had received in the media, saying, "I thought in this country people are innocent until proven guilty, but some of the comments in the papers were out of order",[39] and said he and his family had endured an "absolute bloody nightmare".

[41] Warnock received an abusive reception from the Albion supporters and refused to shake Megson's hand before the match, but joked afterwards that he had a crash helmet in the event of a repeat.

[43] Megson praised his team for overcoming the negative atmosphere, in which both sets of supporters "exchanged derogatory chants with even greater fervour than is customary", according to The Guardian journalist John Ashdown; Albion midfielder Johnson was particularly targeted.

[47] Speaking in 2020 to the Sheffield Star, Suffo explained that his actions were solely in defence of teammate Santos, and described it as a highlight of his career on par with winning the 2000 Olympics and playing in the 2002 FIFA World Cup for Cameroon,[48] but also spoke of his regret of the incident as he had begun to feel settled at the club.