A Hampshire Premier League Division One match was abandoned on Saturday after Paulsgrove were reduced to six players while trailing Andover Town 8-0. The incident was described by Andover manager Robbie Skeates as “a complete farce”.
Andover led 7-0 at half-time. According to Skeates, four Paulsgrove players did not return for the second half, leaving the visitors with seven players. After Andover scored an eighth goal, another Paulsgrove player left the field with an injury.
Football’s laws state that a match cannot continue if either side has fewer than seven players. The game was therefore stopped early in the second half.
Skeates said all 11 Paulsgrove players had appeared fit when they left the pitch at half-time, but claimed that four were then unable to return. He said Andover would submit a report to the Hampshire Premier Football League.
Posts appearing to come from Paulsgrove’s official account on X said the players had been genuinely injured and appeared to blame the abandonment on injuries. BBC Sport said the league declined to provide Paulsgrove’s contact details.
The Hampshire Premier Football League confirmed that an investigation was under way. A league spokesperson said no comment could be made until the process was complete.
Andover are mid-table in the 16-team competition, which sits at the 12th level of the English football pyramid. Paulsgrove are bottom after losing all 10 of their matches this season, including three completed games in which they conceded at least eight goals.
Sources: BBC Sport.