New advances in bantz: St Mirren skipper spears teammate

By Larry Ryan, Irish Examiner

St Mirren captain Steven Thompson threw a spiked pole through teammate John McGinn’s thigh in a fresh twist on classic training-ground japery.

Invariably, ex-footballers look back fondly on their careers and assure us the one thing they miss most is the dressing room banter; the tops cut off their socks, their clothes soaking in the urinals, maybe, if morale is really high in the side, a poo in their pillowcase back at the team hotel.

Scotland U21 midfielder John McGinn will have particularly treasured memories to cherish after he was speared by his skipper last Thursday at St Mirren’s training complex.

McGinn tackled Thompson during a dribbling drill and the 36-year-old’s reaction was in keeping with the fine traditions of bantz: he threw a speared pole at his young colleague, piercing his thigh and causing a centimetre-deep cut in his leg.

"I'm mortified by the whole thing. It was a daft prank," Thompson told the Scottish Sun, before reflecting poignantly on the precarious nature of banter.

"I threw it for a laugh, stupid me trying to be funny, and unfortunately it's anything but. It's a total disaster."

McGinn suffered a torn thigh muscle, missed Saturday's Scottish Premiership win over Kilmarnock and will be out for three more weeks.

While keen to clarify that he enjoys bantz as much as the next man, McGinn hasn’t yet quite seen the funny side of this one: "I've been shocked by it, to be honest, really down about it.

"I like a laugh and a joke in training, but for something like this to happen is just unbelievable."