Team head home at half-time after 8-0 humbling

English side Abingdon United were set to record one of their most memorable wins when they were 8-0 up on rivals Abingdon Town, only to find the opposition had left the stadium at half-time to spare themselves more embarrassment.

The two teams play in the Hellenic League Division One East, the 10th tier of English football, and second-placed United are chasing promotion while Town are bottom of the standings with only two wins all season.

The hosts were 4-0 up in 15 minutes at the Northcourt Road venue and added four more before the break, after which Town’s players refused to come out for the restart on Saturday.

Instead, the visitors left their kits behind in the dressing room and left the ground without any explanation.

Abingdon Town chairman Brian Kirk said he was “incredibly disappointed” to hear about the incident.

“After all the problems we had last year we hoped we had turned a corner and could stabilise the club,” Kirk said, referring to their financial issues that nearly saw the club fold.

“I can’t make too many more comments until I can get hold of the manager.”

The club also released a statement on Sunday apologising to spectators who had hoped to watch a full game. — Reuters