English women’s league showdown delayed by teams wearing matching socks
Arsenal’s Caitlin Foord, left, and Chelsea’s Melanie Leupolz battle for the ball during the Women’s Super League soccer match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge, London, Friday March 15, 2024. (Nigel French/PA via AP)
LONDON (AP) — A top-of-the table English Women’s Soccer League game with a crowd of nearly 33,000 suffered a delayed kickoff on Friday because the teams had matching socks.
Arsenal turned up at Chelsea with the same-colored white socks, forcing referee Rebecca Welch to delay the start.
Arsenal Women ended up going into the Chelsea megastore at Stamford Bridge and buying black socks. They used tape to try and hide the Chelsea and Nike logos. Arsenal’s kit is made by adidas.
They started 30 minutes late.
“Clearly it’s a human error, a mistake, but it’s embarrassing,” former England international Karen Carney, who played for both clubs, told Sky Sports. ”This is a massive crowd, a massive game.
“It’s a simple thing, a kit, and we have got it wrong. People make mistakes but the game does not need this and it’s frustrating. It does not look good for the game.”
WSL leader Chelsea won 3-1.
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