Peterborough Rangers win 40-0 in 16th-tier of English football

Last update on.From section Football
Peterborough Rangers (in green and yellow) score their final goal of the game, their 40th.

Most people who have played grassroots football know someone who was involved in games that saw a team reach double figures.

Peterborough Rangers were 40-0 winners Saturday in the fifth division, Peterborough and District Football League.

Sawtry Reserves, their unfortunate opponent, began the match with only eight players. They were awarded credit for playing the entire match, despite the eye-watering scoreline.

Rangers player-manager Dwayne Rankin said that the team just went out and wanted to increase their goal difference. He was also the game's top scorer, scoring 13 goals.

Rankin answered BBC Radio Cambridgeshire's question about whether it was unfair for them to continue scoring against their short-handed opponents. "It does seem a little harsh, but that's football. You've got to score the most points possible, that's what the game is all about.

"We went out there with the attitude that we are playing whoever we are, scored as many goals and entertained the people who were watching."

Andy Hutchcraft was one such spectator, and he admitted that he "lost track" of the score while observing the 16th-tier match.

He said, "Even if my life is 100 years old, I don't think that I'll ever see 40 goals again in a football match."

Australia beat American Samoa 31-0 in a qualifying match for the 2002 World Cup.