'i Wanted To Quit Football After Disgusting Urine Prank'

It started for illustration each nan different matchdays earlier it for goalkeeper Tony Thompson.

Beans connected toast for breakfast, a 40-minute thrust to Warrington Town's Cantilever Park, a laughter and a catch-up pinch team-mates successful nan location dressing room earlier nan nitty-gritty connected nan pitch.

Warrington were hosting Northern Premier League Premier Division rivals Guiseley successful nan 2nd information of nan FA Trophy.

A large crippled for some part-time clubs, pinch nan winning squad inching a measurement person to nan last astatine Wembley.

By nan extremity of nan day, Thompson - who was connected Liverpool's books increasing up - was fresh to locomotion distant from nan crippled he loved aft an incident that "knocked maine sick".

Early successful nan 2nd half, pinch nan necktie goalless, Thompson reached for nan drinks vessel by his nett and took a gulp of what he thought was water.

Unbeknown to him, a Guiseley instrumentality down his extremity had climbed complete nan pitchside obstruction and swapped bottles while Thompson was concentrating connected nan game.

Instead of water, nan keeper said nan vessel he had drank from was filled pinch urine.

The incident was filmed by different fans and viewed much than 2 cardinal times connected societal media.

"At first I wanted to beryllium sick," says Thompson, 30.

"I turned information to face whoever had done it and location was a lad stood location who said 'it's me, what are you going to do astir it?'

"My caput was wholly gone. It sewage a spot heated.

"I gripped nan lad and emptied nan vessel adjacent him aliases connected him. I threw nan vessel distant successful anger and told him 'that's disgusting'."

Thompson was sent disconnected for his reaction and Warrington mislaid nan necktie 1-0, pinch nan goalkeeper receiving a three-match ban, later reduced to one., external

After driving location from nan match, Thompson wrote connected societal media:, external "Today I fell retired of emotion pinch nan game. To beryllium told I wasn't allowed to respond because I'm a subordinate is outrageous. That personification has put maine [and] my family's wellness astatine risk, and knocked maine sick."

The station went viral, receiving 41,000 likes.

"It was huffy for a fewer days afterwards," he adds. "I was getting requests for interviews but I want to beryllium known for being a bully goalkeeper - not celebrated because personification urinated successful my bottle!"

Three years on, Thompson is capable to talk astir nan incident that almost made him quit.

Thompson's profession includes a spell astatine Rotherham United erstwhile Emiliano Martinez, now astatine Aston Villa, was connected indebtedness location from Arsenal.

While Martinez has gone connected to triumph nan World Cup pinch Argentina, Thompson has fallen backmost successful emotion pinch football.

He has moved connected from Warrington, and connected Saturday will person his accustomed pre-match beans connected toast earlier playing successful nan FA Cup first qualifying information for Bootle astatine Yorkshire broadside Silsden.

Thompson says it took a batch of soul-searching and persuasion from family, friends and team-mates to proceed playing aft that grim acquisition successful 2022.

A connection of support from erstwhile Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland, who was attacked connected nan pitch by a instrumentality while playing for Sheffield Wednesday successful 2012, besides helped him determine to transportation on.

"Immediately aft nan game, I was fresh to quit," says Thompson, who was portion of nan Altrincham squad that won six ties to scope nan FA Cup 2nd information successful 2019.

"No subordinate steps connected to nan shot transportation to beryllium treated that way. I emotion a spot of relationship pinch fans. Most of nan clip it ends up pinch maine shaking hands pinch guidance supporters astatine nan extremity of nan game.

"What happened against Guiseley wasn't banter. I don't play shot for things for illustration that.

"In nan extremity I decided I wanted to transportation connected playing because thing for illustration that shouldn't make maine stop. The only measurement I'll extremity is if I can't physically play immoderate more."

Several weeks aft nan incident, Thompson received a letter.

It was from nan instrumentality who switched nan bottles.

Three days aft nan FA Trophy match, Guiseley said nan protagonist successful mobility had been tracked down and banned indefinitely., external

Thompson was asked by Cheshire Police if he wanted to property charges but decided against it.

"He was a young lad and we each make mistakes," he says.

"Don't get maine wrong, I'm not soft and what he did was disgusting. But I didn't want 1 incident to inhibit his future.

"He sent maine a missive saying sorry. I did publication it but astatine nan clip I was still angry because it was truthful raw."

Thompson has moved connected pinch his life, and wants to transportation connected playing shot for arsenic agelong arsenic possible.

He near Rotherham without making a elder quality and astir of his playing profession has been spent successful non-league.

His erstwhile clubs see Chelmsford City (loan), Southport (loan), Chester and AFC Fylde, while his 1 and only Football League quality came astatine Morecambe successful 2015-16.

"I emotion nan organization feel, nan family consciousness of non-league football," he adds.

"During my 5 years astatine Altrincham, I knew everyone's sanction and they each knew my name.

"At Bootle, there's a monolithic family consciousness astir nan club. The chairman, nan supporters... they're each successful it for nan aforesaid reason. It's for nan emotion of nan game."

Thompson's partner, Samantha, gave commencement to their babe boy Vincent past period - and he is simply a root of inspiration for his dad.

"I'm 100% gladsome I decided not to discontinue playing successful nan end," says Thompson.

"One of my dreams is to locomotion retired connected to nan transportation earlier a crippled pinch my son. That's a representation I'll cherish for nan remainder of my life."