North Wales Crusaders played Rochdale Hornets last weekend in a Kingstone Press League One clash. The game has garnered attention after one of the most despicable acts ever to be committed on a sports pitch was captured on video.
In the third minute of the game, the Crusaders' Alex Thompson ran a good line before Rochdale's Tony Suffolk attempted to tackle him around the ankles. Suffolk's teammate came in to smother Thompson and bring him to the ground. It was then that Suffolk decided to intentionally twist Thompson's ankle enough to rupture his achilles and damage his medial collateral ligament.
It's a shocking act, that was completely unnecessary. Thompson is now likely to miss the rest of the season, and will have to take unpaid leave from his job as a landscape gardener as a result.
North Wales Crusaders chief executive Jamie Thomas said to the Western Mail:
What we can see is an unusual attempt at a tackle, which could cause a serious injury. We have asked that the incident be dealt with in the most severe way possible. For one part-time player to do that to another part-time player, it’s a very poor act.
Alex hasn’t broken anything, but he’s sustained quite a significant injury, he’s facing a long period out of the game and he’s now in a position where he’s having to take unpaid leave from work because he can’t do his job.
Suffolk will now have to face a disciplinary panel after the referee reported the incident, and it remains to be seen what punishment will be handed down. There was no punishment given to Suffolk at the time, but was later sent to the sin-bin for a separate 'coming-together' with another Crusaders player. I
