Playing the Field
Prologue
Strike out!
Millford City striker Ben Pryce’s footballing future is hanging in the balance following an altercation with a fan earlier today.
The 22-year-old, who was on target to be the top goal scorer in the Premier League after his hat trick against Barcombe last Saturday, was sent off the pitch sixteen minutes before the end of City’s clash against Hamcott Park after a heated exchange with one of the away team’s supporters.
It’s not yet known what sparked the incident, but the Hamcott fan is thought to have made derogatory comments as Pryce lined up the corner kick that could have propelled Millford City to yet another victory. Pryce was immediately shown the red card and left the pitch to boos from the visitors’ stand.
Although there has been no further comment from the Millford camp, a source tells us Pryce is now facing a six-match suspension and a hefty fine for poor conduct. This means he will miss Millford City’s three remaining matches, giving rival strikers Harry Fuller and Frank Headingly, from Walthorp Town and East Hedgely respectively, the chance to overtake his 26-goal tally.
He will also be forced to sit on the bench for the first three games of the next season, which, after his recent spout of bad behaviour on the pitch, raises big questions about his future at the club he’s played for since he was 19.
‘If they can get decent results without him in these upcoming games, they might start wondering if they can do without him,’ pundit Owen Smith warned on Channel Six’s Top Goals. ‘For a club looking to streamline its spending, they’ve got to be looking at their more expensive players and thinking about who they can afford to lose. And when you have a highly paid player like Ben who isn’t even on the pitch, making that cut might seem like a no-brainer.’
Hamcott Park has been facing its own financial woes, with the current owners close to finalising a deal that will see their home ground sold to property developers and the club relocated to cheaper premises more than 60 miles away. Chairman Karl Steadman has been accused of treating it as a business primarily and only a football club after that, but the Hamcott Park fans’ desperate pleas for a last-minute change of heart have gone unheard.
Pryce has been one of Millford City’s star players since he joined the club three years ago, helping to keep them well away from the relegation zone for three consecutive seasons thanks to his impressive goal tally. But only time will tell whether we see him back in the squad or if his career there has reached its final whistle.