Soccer doesn’t get enough credit for being a dangerous sport. You’ve got minimal protective gear on; bodies are flying everywhere and, at times, you’ve even got to look out for turf maintenance equipment.
One soccer player in Thailand learned this the hard way, and it was all caught on camera.
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Andros Townsend previously played in the English Premier League for Crystal Palace, Everton and Luton Town, but these days he’s suiting up for Thai club PT Prachuap.
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English soccer player Andros Townsend was involved in a wild incident before a match in Thailand. (Photo by Apinya Rittipo/Getty Images)
The first half had ended during the club’s match against fellow Thai outfit Pattani when a grounds crew member driving a lawn roller broke the biggest unwritten rule of athletic turf maintenance: don’t run over the players.
That’s an important one.
That was quite the scary moment, and fortunately Townsend was alright.
In fact, he handled that better than some soccer players handle having an opponent’s forearm brush against them, and even played in that same match.
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Now, I hate to be “that guy,” but was the ground crew really that far behind on their duties that they had to bust out the lawn roller while players were trying to warm up?
I’m not going to sit here and pretend to be some expert turf whisperer, but that seems like it should’ve been knocked out earlier in the day. Even if it needs a little off the top to keep things crisp and level, maybe wait until the pitch is clear.
Despite the incident, Townsend still appeared in the match, coming in as a substitute. (Photo by Apinya Rittipo/Getty Images)
Maybe something happened that day that required some mid-game lawn rolling, but if that’s the case, you have to be ready to slam on the brakes if a player takes off upfield for a pass.
That did not happen.
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At least Townsend was ready when called upon and entered the match as a substitute. His team went on to win, but the accident has led to an investigation.