A runaway pitch roller, a trapped leg and a substitute appearance a couple of hours later. Andros Townsend, the 35-year-old former England, Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Luton winger, endured one of the most bizarre pre-match moments of his career in Thailand on Saturday. His verdict? Stoke away “wasn’t so bad after all”.
What happened at Pattani
Townsend was warming up before PT Prachuap’s Thai League 1 match at Pattani when a member of staff appeared to lose control of a heavy pitch roller. The winger’s left leg briefly got stuck under the vehicle, but he was unhurt.
Remarkably, the former Premier League man came off the bench late on as PT Prachuap won 3-0. Few warm-up stories end quite like that.
Townsend’s Stoke away joke
True to form, Townsend made light of the incident, joking that playing Stoke away, long the Premier League’s byword for a tough afternoon, “wasn’t so bad after all”. The line quickly did the rounds among English football fans.
It’s a typically dry response from a player who spent more than a decade in the Premier League and became known for his spectacular long-range strikes.
Who is Andros Townsend?
A product of Tottenham’s academy, Townsend won 13 caps for England and played for Newcastle, Crystal Palace, Everton and Luton before moving to Thailand in 2025, first with Kanchanaburi Power and now with PT Prachuap.
At 35, he is one of a growing number of Premier League veterans extending their careers in Asian football, and he has now made headlines there for the most unlikely of reasons.
Pitch safety: a reminder for every league
The incident raises a question rarely asked in the Premier League or anywhere else: how safe is heavy groundskeeping equipment when it operates around players warming up? Rollers and mowers are a familiar sight near warm-up zones on matchdays across England.
Townsend walked away without injury, but the episode is a reminder that risk doesn’t only exist between the first and final whistle.
FAQ
Was Andros Townsend injured by the pitch roller?
No. His left leg was briefly trapped under the roller, but he was unhurt and came off the bench late in the match.
Which club does Andros Townsend play for now?
He plays for PT Prachuap in Thai League 1, having moved to Thailand in 2025 to join Kanchanaburi Power.
What was the result of the match?
PT Prachuap won 3-0 at Pattani, with Townsend coming on as a late substitute.
How many England caps does Andros Townsend have?
Townsend won 13 caps for England.
What did Townsend say after the incident?
He joked that playing Stoke away ‘wasn’t so bad after all’ compared to being run over by a pitch roller.
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