The water the goalkeeper drank was replaced by the opponent s fans, and he was sent off with a red card when he stepped forward.

For goalkeeper Tony Thompson, the time before that game started was no different from other match days.

Eat roasted beans for breakfast, then drive 40 minutes to the Cantilever Park in Warrington Town, and chat with your teammates in the home locker room before stepping onto the court to compete fiercely with your opponents.

That game was the second round of the 2022-23 England Football Association Championship, with Warrington playing against Giinserley at home.

This is an important game for both amateur teams, and the winner will be one step closer to Wembley's final.

After the game that day, Thompson, who had been playing for Liverpool since childhood, was preparing to leave the sport he loved because he felt "disgusting". The goalkeeper drank water, but drank the urine that the opponent fans replaced with, and the story was like this. Shortly after the second half of the game started, the score on the field was still 0:0. Thompson reached out to get the drink bottle next to the goal and took a big sip of what he thought was water.

What Thompson didn't know was that when he was concentrating on the game, a Giinserley fan behind the goal crossed the sidelines guardrail and replaced his water bottle.

Thompson said that the bottle he drank was not water, but urine.

This incident was filmed by other fans and posted on social media, with more than 2 million views.

"I wanted to vomit at first," Thompson, now 30, said in an interview. "I turned to face the perpetrator and saw a young man standing there saying 'It's me, what can you do?'"

"My brain suddenly had a bloody splash."

"I grabbed the boy and poured the urine from the bottle on him. I angrily threw the bottle away and told him 'It's so disgusting.'" Thompson was sent off for improper reaction, and the Warrington team also lost the game 0:1. Thompson was also suspended for three games, which was later reduced to one game. After driving home after the game, Thompson wrote on social media: "Today I completely lost interest in the sport. Because I was a player, I was told that I could not react, which was outrageous. That person put my family and my health at risk and I fell ill." The post of Thompson quickly became popular, with 41,000 likes.

"I went crazy the next few days," he added, "I received an invitation to interview, but I want people to know that I was because I was a good goalkeeper-not because someone peed into my bottle!"

Three years later, Thompson could finally talk about the incident that almost brought him back.

"I don't want to continue playing"

Thompson played for Rotherham United earlier, when his teammates included Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who is now playing for Aston Villa, when Martin was loaned to Rotherham United from Arsenal.

In 2022, when Martinez won the World Cup with Argentina, Thompson fell in love with football again.

He has left Warrington and will eat baked beans before the game as usual on Saturday, before representing Boot in the first round of the FA Cup qualifying match against Searsden.

Thompson said that after the tragic experience in 2022, he had a deep reflection and continued to train and compete with his family, friends and teammates.

Former Liverpool and England goalkeeper Chris Kirkland played for Sheffield in 2012 and was attacked by a fan on the court on Wednesday. He relied on the support of his relatives and friends to continue his career.

"After the game, I was ready to retire," Thompson said. "No player stepped on the court to be treated like that. I like to interact with fans, and most of the time, after the game, I shake hands with the opponent's fans."

"The game against Giinserley is not a joke. I don't play football for that kind of thing."

"In the end, I decided to continue playing because such things shouldn't let me stop. I will stop unless my physical condition does not allow me to continue playing."

A few weeks after the incident, Thompson received a letter.

was sent by the fan who changed the bottle.

"We will all make mistakes"

Three days after that game, the Giinserlay Club said that the fans involved had been found and were banned from entering the stadium indefinitely.

Police asked Thompson if he wanted to file a charge, but he decided not to.

"He is still a young man, and we all make mistakes," he said.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not weak, what he did is disgusting. But I don't want to affect his future because of one thing."

"He sent me an apology letter. I did read it, but I was still angry at that time because the content was too straightforward."

Thompson had begun a new life and wanted to continue his football career as long as possible.

He did not play for the first team when he left Rotherham United, and he spent most of his career in the non-professional league in England.

He has played for Chemsford City (loan), Southport (loan), Chester and Field, and his only professional debut was against Morecum in the 2015-16 season.

"I like the community and family atmosphere of the United Nations," he added.

"I played for Alteringham for five years before joining Warrington, and I knew everyone's name, and they all knew mine.

"In Boutl, there was a strong family atmosphere in the club. The chairman, the fans... they all come for the same goal, that is, their love for football. ”

Thompson's partner Samantha gave birth to their son Vincent last month, and he was the source of inspiration for his father.

"I am 100% glad that I did not give up on playing football in the end," Thompson said. "One of my dreams is to walk on the court with my son before the game starts, which will be a memory I treasure throughout my life. ”