Player safety was highlighted in all the wrong areas at the weekend when the Chatham Town Women’s game away to London Seaward was abandoned after a frightening accident left a home player with a deep gash in the back for her head. 

The Chats had dominated the twenty-nine minutes that had been played and led through fine strikes from Ciara Hynes and Lottie Sharp, before on 29 minutes playing time Chats striker Millie Raynor and home defender Beatrice Rogers tussled as hundreds of others had done in football everywhere over the weekend near the goal line resulting in both tumbling into the fence behind the goal on what looked like a newly laid 4G surface.

Unfortunately for the home player, she cracked her head on an exposed concrete slab with such a crack that the sound of it could be heard at the other end of the pitch. 

After a delay of nearly 40 minutes through which time, the stricken player was dealt with superbly by Chats physio – Amelia Furness – whilst an ambulance arrived to take her to hospital.

The home side later published pictures of the defender in hospital thankfully having been treated. But the incident highlighted just how on occasions player safety isn’t considered when fitting new pitches and sometimes the obvious need for protection is overlooked which has happened here. 

Chats boss Keith Boanas was angry as well as frustrated when he spoke to KSN after referee Alice Parker – who it has to be said handled the horrific incident magnificently and deserves much credit – had officially abandoned proceedings shortly after 3.20pm.

The Chats boss told us, “It was disappointing to have been able to finish a game that we had good control of despite not playing in my view particularly well.”

“We had control of it, and I do think we would have grown even more into it and added to the scoreline. But I have no complaint with the official’s decision at all – it was a serious injury, and you must put the players welfare as a priority!” 

“From a health and safety factor, it is really disgusting that it was an exposed bit of concrete between the fence finishing and the pitch. Hopefully the Club itself – it is a men’s non-league Club (Redbridge FC who play in the Northern Division of the Isthmian League) must look at it and learn from what has happened today before someone else gets seriously injured.”

“The referee was being observed and I would hope that it will be highlighted in his report also.” 

“I understand where their players are coming from not wanting to continue as their friend is hurt badly and they are distressed – I do understand why they do not want to carry on playing.”

“At the end of the day, it is all about the welfare of the player and we hope that she’s OK!” 

“Just watching (physio) Amelia go was amazing. She is new working with us, but she was calm and collected and did exactly what was needed with an injury like that – not moving the player; stabilising her neck – she did everything correctly and hopefully that was shown when she went to hospital. Full credit to her…” 

The Chats boss then briefly spoke about the 29 minutes that had been played. “You can keep writing that I’m not happy with the way we have played and that is just down to my own expectations!”

“We juggled the squad a little bit today and given Millie a start and brought (Ellie) Perkins back into the midfield, where she did really well against Dulwich, alongside Ciara and gave Lois (Colley) her first start at the back.”

“It was a shaky start again which concerned us a little bit especially as we seem to start a lot of games like that. We need to calm down quicker and realise how good we can be!” 

The Chats nerves were calmed when Hynes hammered the Chats in front after a lovely ball in from Megan Maslak before the lead was doubled shortly afterwards when again Maslak was the creator with a charging run to the line, and from her driven centre Lottie Sharp doubled the lead deservedly. 

“The two games that we have been entirely happy with this season have been the two midweek games (against Hashtag United and Dulwich Hamlet) that were the day after training sessions.”

“It seems ironic that when we come to Sundays when we have had the gap of a couple of days since training Thursdays, we do take longer to get started.”

“It is something that we are looking at; we must get the balance right and get the consistency right – I have gotten a very good squad, which I am happy to say overall is better than last year, but now I have the job of trying to keep them all happy.”

“We wanted the game to get to an end so that players would get minutes ahead of changes that I know we will make next week in the FA Cup to give players minutes who deserve a game. The fact that we did not finish this could put a different perspective on it.” 

KSN comment – Mike Green writes, “The fact that a slab of exposed concrete in clear sight at a ground that requires ground grading is as Keith Boanas said disgusting.”

“Given how physical the game is, I find it incredible to think that nearly three months into the season, there have been no other serious injuries at this venue.”

“Yes, you can say that it was unfortunate, but having seen the incident and the distress that a young lady experienced – a young lady who remember went out on Sunday “just” to play a game of football is disgusting and action must be taken.”

“Both ends of the pitch had the same slope on it meaning these concrete slabs are exposed at both ends of the pitch with one end having a shorter run off than the other… Player welfare must be a first thought and not and after thought EVERY TIME!”