In a bizarre turn of events, a non-league footballer ended up playing a crucial role in his team's victory on Tuesday night, despite a significant navigational blunder. Lewis White, a defender for Spalding United, inadvertently added 200 miles to his journey after mixing up two towns named Bury.

White, a 24-year-old, was set to travel from his home in Leicestershire to Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk for a Southern Football League Premier central fixture against Bury Town. However, instead of heading east, he drove north to Bury in Greater Manchester. It appears he drove all the way to Gigg Lane, the home of Bury FC, before realizing his error.

Bury is a market town in Greater Manchester, located on the River Irwell. Historically part of Lancashire, it became part of Greater Manchester in 1974. The town is known for its open-air market and black pudding.

Bury St Edmunds, on the other hand, is located in Suffolk, approximately 200 miles southeast of Bury, Greater Manchester.

After his detour, White eventually arrived at Getaway Cars Stadium, the home of Bury Town, just in time to help his team secure a 2-1 victory while playing with 10 men. Spalding United manager, Jimmy Dean, expressed his astonishment at the mix-up, noting that it was likely a first-time occurrence for Bury Town. Dean said, "I asked the people at Bury if it had ever happened before and they said it hadn't. He must have been in a world of his own, but he's come and helped see the game out for us and it's always a fantastic feeling to win a midweek match".

Thanks to the win, Spalding United moved up to fourth place in the league. Their next game is an FA Cup qualifying round fixture against Dagenham & Redbridge on Saturday.

This incident highlights the potential for confusion when place names are similar. While White's mistake added significant travel time to his journey, it ultimately didn't prevent him from contributing to his team's success.