Football team attacked with baseball bats as player's knee shattered

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A footballer was left with a broken knee after a vicious attack by masked thugs wielding baseball bats and other weapons following a heated match.Welsh goalkeeper Joel Collins, 32, sustained what police are calling "life-changing" injuries in the savage incident.

Collins' team, Ely-based Avenue Hotspur FC, had just suffered a 3-1 defeat to Llanrumney Athletic in a Cardiff & District Football League Division 1 clash when the violence erupted on Saturday afternoon outside the changing rooms at Eastern Leisure Centre in Llanrumney, reports Wales Online.According to the FAW’s results app, three red cards and two yellows were shown by the referee after the final whistle.A statement from Avenue Hotspur said that "several players" were attacked as they left the changing rooms at the leisure centre and described what happened as "distressing" and "frightening".

The statement added that Mr Collins is "in good spirits" despite suffering a broken knee in the incident and that he has undergone surgery to repair the injury.Llanrumney Athletic also "strongly condemned" the attack in a statement, adding that "to the club's knowledge, no players or coaching staff were involved".Police are continuing to investigate the incident, with a statement saying that those involved were described as having weapons and face coverings, while a vehicle was also damaged.

However, no arrests have yet been made.A spokesperson for Avenue Hotspur said: "We strongly condemn the violence that occurred at the Eastern Leisure Centre on Saturday, October 12 and trust the the police will do all they can to bring those involved to justice.