19.01.2026 15:41
An amateur league match in Wales saw player Tom Taylor deliberately elbowing an opponent, which drew significant backlash. The incident was captured on camera and quickly spread on social media. Following the event, his club Trearddur Bay FC terminated Taylor's contract, and the player was arrested by the police.
A violent incident that occurred during an amateur league match played in Wales drew significant backlash. Footballer Tom Taylor, who was captured on camera deliberately elbowing his opponent, was arrested by the police. Following the incident, his club Trearddur Bay FC announced that they had terminated the player's contract.
In footage recorded during the Trearddur Bay FC – Porthmadog FC match played on Saturday, Taylor is seen catching his opponent from behind and delivering a hard elbow strike to the chin before a penalty situation. As the opposing player collapsed to the ground without understanding what had happened, the incident sparked outrage in the stands and on social media.
The footage quickly spread online and was viewed by more than 10 million people. Many football fans on social media argued that Taylor should be banned from football for life and prosecuted.
North Wales Police confirmed that an investigation has been launched regarding the incident and that 35-year-old Tom Taylor was arrested on suspicion of assault. Police officials stated that the investigation is ongoing and requested the public to refrain from speculation, urging anyone with information about the incident to contact the authorities.
Following the incident, Trearddur Bay FC made a swift decision to first suspend Taylor indefinitely, and then announced the complete termination of his contract after an extraordinary board meeting.
In a statement from the club, it was expressed, "We do not accept any form of violence. The incident is unacceptable on behalf of both our club and the football community. We sincerely apologize to the opposing player, the club, match officials, and fans."
The club also emphasized that they would fully cooperate with all investigations conducted by the police and the football federation.
It was noted that the player who received the elbow strike in the 59th minute of the match was Danny Brookwell, and the game was stopped following the incident.
The Football Association of Wales (FAW) also announced that they have initiated an investigation into the matter. The federation stated that matches in the third-tier league fall under their jurisdiction and that the footage will be evaluated by the disciplinary committee.
On social media, reactions continued to pour in. One user commented, "This is not football, it's outright violence. He should be banned for life," while another stated, "This has no place on the field, he should be punished."
The incident once again brought to light the level of violence in football fields, with calls for the penalties to set a precedent.