Scuthorpe United loses two goalkeepers to broken arms in the same game

They say it never rains, but it pours. For Scunthorpe United, it’s raining broken bones, as they lost both of their first-team goalkeepers to broken arms in one horrifying half of football.

Sam Slocombe started their match against Bristol City in League One, England’s third division, but lasted just eight minutes before a collision while punching away a cross left him clutching his arm in agony. Enter James Severn, who has played just one match for Scunthorpe this season and spent a month on loan with Alfreton in the Conference Premier division, two tiers below League One.

Severn allowed a goal on a penalty in the 35th minute, but didn’t even make it to halftime. A collision with Bristol forward Jay Emmanuel-Thomas just before halftime left him down on the ground in agony as well, with an impending arm cast of his own.

Manager Mark Robins seemed in shock after the match, but was proud of center back Andrew Boyce, who stepped in to goal as the ever-entertaining outfielder acting as a goalie. He held firm until the 84th minute, when Luke Freeman finally found a breakthrough to seal Bristol’s 2-0 win. It’s not often that an outfielder spends more time in goal than a club’s actual goalkeepers, so at least now Boyce has a highlight for his career and gave Scunthorpe fans something to remember.

Now, though, Scunthorpe need to find a new goalkeeper, because they probably don’t want to throw Boyce in to the net again. Talk about bad luck.