Andros Townsend Escapes Injury After Pitch Roller Incident in Thailand
Andros Townsend has described how he escaped serious injury after being struck by a pitch roller during a half-time warm-up in Thailand, with the PT Prachuap winger later coming on in a 3-0 win over Pattani.
The 35-year-old former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton player was taking part in a rondo at the interval when the machinery moved into him. Footage of the incident showed Townsend briefly disappearing beneath the slow-moving roller as stunned team-mates reacted from nearby.
Townsend said he was able to drop to the ground in a position that prevented a more severe outcome, despite fearing damage to previously operated joints in his left leg.
“I thought I was finished,” he said on Football Uncensored. “It went over the ankle I have had surgery on, then the left knee I have had surgery on. I feared one of them would break.”
He was left with bumps and bruises but was able to get up, hobble away and recover within minutes. Medical staff and colleagues had called for a stretcher and urged him to see the doctor, but Townsend elected to carry on with the warm-up.
Unusual sight before the incident
Townsend had noticed two rollers beside the pitch before the team went out at half-time and recalled wondering why they were there, having not seen such equipment positioned in that area during his career.
He said that, moments later, he found himself underneath one of the vehicles. Falling flat at the crucial moment meant that no bone snapped, allowing him to avoid the serious ankle or knee injury he feared.
The clip has circulated widely, although Townsend said even his children initially assumed it had been created using artificial intelligence. He said it remains difficult to watch because of the potential consequences, while acknowledging that he can now laugh about the escape.
Late appearance in PT Prachuap victory
Townsend was fit enough to take a late place from the bench as PT Prachuap completed a comfortable 3-0 victory against Pattani.
He has since kept a light-hearted tone about the episode, saying he does not intend to take action against the roller driver. In an Instagram post sharing the footage, Townsend joked that “Stoke away wasn’t so bad after all,” referring to the demanding reputation of away trips in English football.
