During most soccer games, and especially at English Premier League games, stewards line the outer perimeter of the soccer field and spend the entire game looking at the fans in the stands. They are there to look at the fans instead of the game and prevent people from running out on the field and to see if there are any other issues in the stands.
Because their back is to the field, sometimes these people are unknowingly the target of off target shots or collisions when players run off the field. In the Stoke City vs. Arsenal game, a poor steward got drilled in the back of the head as Stoke’s Ibrahim Afellay’s shot went off target.
Keep your eyes on the game. pic.twitter.com/Peqd5yTI9j
— VICE Sports (@VICESports) January 17, 2016
Considering stewards are around the stadium at many soccer games, I’m kind of shocked this doesn’t happen more often. Hopefully those who are tasked to be just outside the goal get some sort of “hazard pay” for potentially being in the line of fire of shots going wide. Getting hit in the back of the head, especially when you’re not prepared for it, can’t feel too good so hopefully all was well.
