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Townsend run over by pitch roller in Thailand

Former England forward Andros Townsend escaped injury after his left leg was briefly caught under a heavy pitch roller during a warmup in Pattani, before playing for PT Prachuap.

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20 Sep 2026Source: BBC Sport2 min read (0 views)
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Townsend run over by pitch roller in Thailand

Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event

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  • Andros Townsend's left leg got briefly stuck under a pitch roller in Pattani.
  • The incident occurred during his pre-match warmup on Saturday afternoon.
  • The 35-year-old escaped unhurt and later appeared as a late substitute in a 3-0 win.

A bizarre accident caught the attention of Thai football fans when 35-year-old forward Andros Townsend, who previously played for Premier League clubs such as Tottenham, Luton, and Crystal Palace, found himself underneath heavy machinery while playing for PT Prachuap in Thai League 1.

The incident took place on Saturday as the veteran player was conducting his standard pre-match warmup routine at a stadium in Pattani. According to reports, a member of the stadium staff appeared to lose control of a heavy pitch roller, causing the vehicle to clip the player.

35Townsend's age
3-0Match winning score
13Caps for England

Townsend's left leg briefly became trapped underneath the heavy vehicle during the mishap. Fortunately, the former England international, who earned 13 caps for his country, emerged completely unhurt and shocked onlookers by shaking off the frightening incident.

soccer stadium floodlights night match crowd no team crest

Photo by Howard Bouchevereau / Unsplash

"make light of the incident on Instagram, referencing one of his recent posts"

Andros Townsend

Demonstrating his resilience and sense of humor, the forward later took to Instagram to make light of the situation. He referenced one of his previous social media posts where he humorously compared a scorching away trip in Thailand to his past chilly visits to Stoke's Bet365 Stadium.

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โฆษณา

Accidents involving heavy pitch maintenance machinery are exceedingly rare in professional football stadiums, making this occurrence particularly alarming given the massive tonnage of such rollers. Townsend's ability to walk away unscathed and subsequently feature in the match highlights both immense fortune and the rigorous physical conditioning maintained by professional athletes.

Source: BBC Sport

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