Everything Old Is New Again, Part 3,452

The 29th canon of the Second Lateran Council issued in the year 1139 A.D. stated the following:

29. We prohibit under anathema that murderous art of crossbowmen and archers, which is hateful to God, to be employed against Christians and Catholics from now on.

Which many people consider the first attempt at banning certain inhumane practices in warfare. The ban, however, wasn't really of much practical use. However, nowhere in the canon does it specify anything about soccer players.

The game between Woodley Sports and Alsager Town in the Unibond first division was abandoned in the 77th minute Saturday after the referee noticed the bolt embedded in the field. Police were called to Woodley's stadium, and the arrow will be examined.

"We wondered if it was a firework or something that had gone on that no one else had seen," Alsager chairman Graham McGarry told Sky Sports News on Sunday. "He brought the managers together with the object and brought the players together and marched them off, all within two minutes.

McGarry said the 2-foot steel arrow sailed into the stadium from outside and nearly hit one of the Woodley players.

"All the players were in agreement with the referee, you could not carry on," McGarry said. "After one was fired they may have been set up outside the ground to fire more."

Medieval terrorism. It's back.