Andros Townsend Run Over by Pitch Roller Then Plays On in Thailand
Andros Townsend was knocked over by a motorised pitch roller at half-time in Thailand on Saturday — and still finished the match.
Townsend, 35, is a former England and Tottenham Hotspur winger now playing for Prachuap in Thai League 1, the top division in Thailand. He was warming up with his teammates during the break at Pattani when the freak accident happened, according to The Guardian.
He had stepped out of the practice area to attempt a pass and did not see the roller coming. It was being driven by a member of the ground staff. The roller knocked him down and rode up his legs to almost waist height before the driver jumped off to try to lift it from him.
Townsend escaped serious injury. He carried on warming up and then came on as a late substitute as Prachuap won 3-0 away at Pattani. Afterwards he joked on Instagram: “Turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all,” a nod to Stoke City’s reputation among players as a cold, physical place to visit.
What makes this stand out is how calm the response was. A heavy roller on the legs could end a season. Townsend got up, laughed it off and played on.
Back in England, Saturday brought a jolt for Arsenal. They lost 3-0 to Brighton, ending their 100% start to the season. Manager Mikel Arteta said Brighton deserved the win and called it a big lesson for his team, according to The Guardian. He added that Arsenal were not their usual combative selves and that Brighton were the better side, especially early in the first half, as reported by Reuters.
Looking ahead, Sunday 20 September brings a full programme. In the Premier League, Bournemouth v Liverpool is scheduled for 14:00 and Fulham v Manchester United for 16:30, both with Sky Sports coverage, according to the Premier League. There is also an Old Firm derby in Scotland, with Celtic seeking revenge for a 3-0 Scottish League Cup defeat to Rangers the previous weekend. In the Women’s Super League, the listed fixtures include Crystal Palace v Tottenham, Brighton v Aston Villa and West Ham v Everton.
