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Andros Townsend Run Over by Pitch Roller in Thailand
Confirmed
In Short: Former England winger Andros Townsend was run over by a pitch roller during a warm-up before a match in Thailand.
Former England winger Andros Townsend escaped serious injury after being run over by a pitch roller during a warm-up before PT Prachuap's match against Pattani FC in Thailand on Saturday.
Townsend, who recently joined PT Prachuap after a stint with Kanchanaburi Power, was warming up when a member of staff operating a pitch roller lost control of the vehicle.
The roller briefly got stuck on Townsend's left leg, but he was unhurt and later came on as a substitute in the 93rd minute.
Townsend's team, PT Prachuap, went on to win the match 3-0.
In a light-hearted response, Townsend took to Instagram to joke about the incident, referencing a previous post where he compared a trip to Stoke with his current Thai league experience.
The incident occurred during Townsend's latest stint in Thailand, following his departure from Turkish club Antalyaspor.
Townsend, who has played for Tottenham and Crystal Palace, has been a regular figure in the Thai League since moving to the country in 2025.
Video footage of the incident shows Townsend attempting an aerial backheel when the roller struck his legs, knocking him to the ground.
The operator quickly got out of the driver's seat to help Townsend, and the roller was tilted to free him.
Despite the unusual incident, Townsend was able to participate in the match, highlighting the minor nature of his injuries.
What's confirmed
- Andros Townsend moved to Thailand in 2025 when he joined Kanchanaburi Power Former England winger Andros Townsend joked that playing Stoke away "wasn't so bad after all" following a bizarre incident in Thailand in which he was run over by a pitch roller.
- Townsend was warming up before a match at Pattani on Saturday when a member of staff appeared to lose control of a heavy pitch roller.
- ESPN said Townsend was warming up when the roller crashed into him and rolled over his leg as he attempted to flick a ball, and his side went on to win 3-0 with Townsend featuring off the bench late on.
What's still developing
- He came off the bench late on in a 3-0 win., external Townsend, who won 13 caps for England, made light of the incident on Instagram, referencing one of his recent posts in which he compared a sun-drenched Thai away trip with previous visits to Stoke's Bet365 Stadium.
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- Townsend joined Prachuap last month after one season with fellow Thai side Kanchanaburi Power, who were relegated from the top flight at the end of the previous campaign.
- Gulf News described the roller striking Townsend’s legs, knocking him to the ground before passing over him, and said the machine stopped around his hip area to prevent more serious injuries.
- Chronicle Live added that video footage showed the roller making its way across the pitch before striking Townsend as he attempted an aerial backheel, and that he emerged without serious injury and came off the bench in stoppage time with the result already secured.
- RTE.ie also said another post described Townsend as 'The King of Memes in Thai League history’ and he replied "trust me" with four laughing emojis.
- “ He came off the bench in the 93rd minute, replacing Jesper Nyholm ” The Times of India said Townsend came off the bench in the 93rd minute, replacing Jesper Nyholm, as PT Prachuap secured a 3-0 victory over Pattani.
- Townsend responded to the incident by joking about Stoke away, with BBC saying he made light of the episode on Instagram and referencing one of his recent posts.
- Swipe to see why." RTE.ie similarly said Townsend later took to Instagram to make light of the incident and quoted him: "It turns out Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all.
- Ex-Tottenham and Crystal Palace attacker Townsend currently plays in Thai League 1 for PT Prachuap and made headlines on Saturday night when a clip emerged on social media which showed the 35-year-old being taken out ahead of a fixture at Pattani.
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- PT Prachuap went on to beat Pattani 3-0, with Townsend himself coming off the bench late on, which tells you all you need to know about how lightly he escaped.