Assistant referee discharged from hospital after medical incident at West Brom

Assistant referee Rob Smith was discharged from hospital on Wednesday following a medical incident during West Bromwich Albion's Championship game against Middlesbrough.

The incident, which occurred early in the first half of Tuesday night's game at the Hawthorns, resulted in an eight-minute delay in play and Smith was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

After feeling unwell during the game, Smith was taken to the hospital and underwent tests before being released Wednesday morning.

“We would like to express our thanks to both clubs, the Hawthorns paramedics and the staff at Manor Hospital in Walsall for the care given to Rob,” said a statement from Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL) – the body responsible for refereeing in England.

At Tuesday's game, West Brom fans paid tribute to Mark Townsend, a fan of the club who died aged 57 following a medical incident during Saturday's game against Sheffield Wednesday.

Middlesbrough won the game 1-0 thanks to Hayden Hackney's second-half goal, a result which moved Michael Carrick's side into sixth place in the standings, while West Brom remained in third place.

(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)