Former Lincoln City striker Matt Rhead was caught in the middle of extraordinary scenes as his Kidsgrove Athletic side saw their game against Avro abandoned following a mass brawl behind the goal.
The Northern Premier League Division One West fixture, played at Avro’s Vestacare Stadium in Oldham, descended into chaos with the hosts leading 6–0 and just minutes left on the clock.
Trouble flared after Kidsgrove’s player-joint-manager Tom Pope was sent off from the dugout, becoming the club’s third dismissal of the afternoon.
Goalie has to be season ban pic.twitter.com/oEGZ91Xe3m
— HB. (@hb_07_11) October 18, 2025
Violence Behind the Goal
Tensions that had been simmering throughout the game boiled over when an argument among spectators turned physical behind the Kidsgrove goal. Several of the visiting players, including the goalkeeper, were seen leaving the pitch to intervene.
Video footage shared above shows a fan throwing a punch towards a Kidsgrove player near the barriers, before the goalkeeper appeared to strike back. Moments later, Avro players sprinted across the pitch to try to restore order as the situation spiralled out of control.
Rhead, a National League winner with the Imps, can be seen on the fringes of the incident. When the keeper throws a punch, he seems to move in to calm the situation down, and as the video ends, he can just be seen trying to position himself between players and the spectators.
The referee abandoned the game in the 83rd minute, leaving both clubs facing disciplinary action and uncertainty over how the result will stand.
Club Statements and Fallout
In a statement after the match, Avro said they were “appalled” by what had unfolded and condemned the actions of “some of the fans, players and officials of Kidsgrove Athletic.” Greater Manchester Police confirmed that an investigation is underway, though no arrests have yet been made.
Kidsgrove, managed jointly by Rhead and Pope, said the club “does not condone any form of inappropriate behaviour” and pledged full cooperation with the Football Association’s inquiry.
Rhead’s Involvement
Rhead, who famously helped Lincoln City to the National League title and an FA Cup quarter-final in 2017, has been in joint charge of Kidsgrove since earlier this year. Saturday’s events will come as an unwelcome distraction for the veteran forward, who has been balancing his playing and managerial duties at the Staffordshire club.
The FA will now determine whether the match is to be replayed or awarded, but the footage already circulating online ensures that the ugly scenes will have lasting repercussions for both clubs — and for Rhead’s early steps in management.