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The Premier League and EFL are liaising with clubs amid serious safety concerns over goalposts.
EFL bosses have sent a warning to its sides – seen by Inside Sport – after a goalkeeper sliced his knee open on the frame of a goal, was stretchered off and ruled out for six months.
Now, the Premier League is seeking to establish which of its members uses the nets in question, while an alarmed PFA has contacted both competitions and the FA.
The initial alert was raised after Grimsby goalkeeper Jake Eastwood suffered a gruesome injury in a League Two match earlier this season at Carlisle United.
In the act of diving to stop a header, Eastwood struck the base of the post – and a metal bracket used to hold the net in place.
As a result, his leg was shredded and his patellar tendon ruptured. Following a lengthy delay, Eastwood was taken to hospital, operated on and faced with a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The Premier League and EFL are contacting clubs regarding safety concerns over goalposts
Grimsby goalkeeper Jake Eastwood suffered a serious injury after colliding with a goalpost
The 28-year-old now faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines with a ruptured patellar tendon
Following the incident Mariners manager David Artell branded the design of the posts ‘horrific’ and suggested that Eastwood was fortunate that the injury was not ‘absolutely disastrous’.
The EFL have made its clubs aware of the issue, with use of the posts in question thought to be widespread across the leagues. They say they are working with manufacturers to find a solution. The Premier League say they are in ongoing conversations to establish whether they also have a problem.
A spokesperson for the PFA said they had been working closely with the player and Grimsby and had written to the FA and the leagues for feedback.
They added: ‘It can be easy to view incidents like this as freak occurrences, but Jake’s injury has had serious, career-impacting consequences for him and the club. Where there are clear player safety concerns, it’s important that these are properly addressed to prevent similar impacts on other members in the future.’
Leeds get an early Christmas present
Festive cheer is alive and well at Leeds United. Around 300 staff were delighted to learn that they would be handed a £200 Christmas bonus, with chairman Paraag Marathe sending a message of thanks via videolink from California in which he suggested those benefiting may wish to use the cash to buy one of their loved ones something special.
Around 300 staff at Leeds United have been given a morale-boosting £200 Christmas bonus
Club chairman Paraag Marathe gave staff suggestions on what they could do with the money
The morale-boosting move is said to have gone down very well at Elland Road, where staff have been impressed by Marathe and 49ers Enterprises since they completed their takeover last year. Staff were also treated to a Christmas meal and separate party which included free drinks and entertainment.
Meanwhile, the club’s players agreed to donate a percentage of their December earnings to the Mission Christmas charity, which aims to ensure that no kids in Leeds go without a present. It is understood multiple thousands were raised by the gesture.
Vince leaves UK after ‘unnerving’ attack
James Vince, whose Hampshire home was attacked twice this year in what was believed to be a case of mistaken identity, was so alarmed by his wife and young children being endangered that he has moved to Dubai.
This will also suit the 33 year-old former England batsman in that he has taken advantage of the increasingly global nature of the shortened form of cricket, representing a number of teams including Delhi Bulls in the recent Abu Dhabi T10.
James Vince has moved to Dubai after twice having his Hampshire home attacked
The 33-year-old has enjoyed a globe-trotting spell of late across various franchise leagues
This will turn him into a frequent flyer for Hampshire’s county championship matches at the start and end of next summer in England.
Last spring Vince revealed that he ‘woke suddenly to a load of smashing and alarms going off’. He said that he had ‘no idea’ what was happening during the ‘very unnerving’ attack. ‘We rushed straight to get the kids to make sure they were safe. They were very shaken up.’
HRR suffer payment system glitch
Officials at Henley Royal Regatta appear to have run into choppy waters thanks to a glitch in their payment system.
Some members have been contacted by HRR and informed their subscription renewals – vital to the funding of the annual staple – have not gone through with a number of payments declined.
They are blaming ‘unforeseen difficulties with our transition to Continuous Payment Authority (CPA)’ and have admitted that, in some cases, the reason for rejection is unclear. Those affected have been asked to go online and renew manually. Not a great look.
