Police investigate after footballer was punched during game

Police are investigating after a footballer suffered a serious injury during a cup game on Saturday.

Tom McRobie, captain of Bingham Town Reserves, was left with a detached cheekbone and a shattered eye socket after being punched during his side’s match against Pythian.

According to a post on the club’s official Twitter account, Tom will have surgery to insert a plate and is likely to lose the feeling in part of his face.

In a separate Tweet, the club described it as a horrible incident and thanked everyone for the messages of support.

Some Twitter users called for the player who inflicted the injury to receive a lifetime ban from football.

In a statement the Notting-hamshire FA, which was overseeing the game because it was a cup match, confirmed it would be investigating the incident through its disciplinary procedures.

In a separate response the Notts Senior League, of which Bingham Town Reserves is affiliated, said: “The league condemns all needless acts of violence towards any individual and encourages anyone witnessing such an action to report it to the police and the authorities under whose auspices the match is being played which, on this occasion, was the Nottinghamshire FA.

'A man was punched'

“The NSL sends best wishes to the injured party for a speedy recovery.”

It said it would be inappropriate to comment further.

A spokesman for Nottinghamshire Police said officers were called to the club on Saturday.

“During a football match a man was punched,” the spokesman said.

“He went to hospital with a suspected broken cheekbone.

“If anyone has any information about the incident, please call us on 101, quoting incident number 825 of November 4.”

A spokesman for Bingham Town FC declined to comment to the Advertiser.