Fireworks, flares suspend football match

Fireworks and flares are the bane of football matches around the globe.

For unknown reasons unruly supporters love nothing more than lighting the sky and detonating explosives to either celebrate goals and victories or simply disrupt games.

And at a recent game in South America that was exactly the outcome when a referee suspended a match in Chile's premier league after a string of incidents in the stands.

Despite bans on burning flares at South American matches, fans at a game between Universidad de Chile and Union Espanola couldn't help themselves during a tense clash.

With the scores locked at 1-1 in the sky exploded with the familiar red glow and detonation of fireworks, forcing the referee to stop the match for five minutes.

The incident came as Uruguayan team Nacional serves a sanction for the same offence in an earlier game, forcing them to play their Copa Libertadores games behind closed doors.

For the record Union Espanola won 2-1, leaving Universidad de Chile with just five points after seven games.