Swindon Town's pre-season friendly against Swindon Supermarine was delayed after goalkeeper Luke Purnell suffered a potentially serious injury.

What happened?

The match was paused after Purnell collided with his own defender, falling to the ground, and both teams instantly brought on their medical staff to examine him. Ian Holloway, the manager, went on the public announcement system to inform the crowd that an ambulance had been called, as it was believed that Purnell could have a serious head injury. The match was paused for around an hour as Holloway, Supermarine manager Bobby Wilkinson, and referee Simon Hooper discussed the best course of action, with play not continuing until the ambulance arrived.

Impact on the team

Purnell was stretchered off and taken to the hospital before the players warmed up again, and play was able to restart, although the match was reduced to two 30-minute halves due to the lost time. After the match, Holloway said that he was hoping Purnell would be alright and gave credit to his medical staff for how they handled the incident. Holloway said: "It was really upsetting, because it looked quite innocuous at first. I was just pleased that Drinan got there first and scored a goal." The team is currently preparing for the new season, sitting 9th in League Two with 75 points from 46 games, and 12 points behind leaders Bromley. Their recent form has been LLDLW, with their last result being a 1-2 loss to Chesterfield on 2026-05-02.

What comes next?

The team will continue their pre-season preparations, with the hope that Purnell will make a full recovery. With the new season approaching, Swindon Town will look to improve their form and make a push for the top of the league, having scored 70 goals and conceded 59, with a goal difference of +11.