The provision of medical care in English professional football: An update.

OBJECTIVES: To compare the current methods of appointment, qualifications and occupational experience of club doctors and physiotherapists in English professional football with (i) those outlined in a study published in 1999, and (ii) Football Association (FA) medical regulations. DESIGN: Qualitative. METHODS: Postal questionnaire survey of (head) doctors and physiotherapists at each of the clubs in the English Premiership, Championship and Football Leagues 1 and 2. Response rates of 35.8% and 45.6% respectively were obtained. RESULTS: The majority of football club doctors are GPs who have sports medicine qualifications and relevant occupational experience. Time commitments vary from full time to a few hours per week. Most are appointed through personal contacts rather than job advertisements and/or interview. Almost all football clubs have a chartered physiotherapist, many of whom have a postgraduate qualification. They work full time and long hours. Most are appointed through personal contacts rather than job advertisements. They are frequently interviewed but not always by someone qualified to judge their professional expertise. CONCLUSIONS: Football club medical provision has become more extensive and increasingly professional over the last 10-20years, with better qualified, more career-oriented and more formally contracted staff. It is likely that clinical autonomy has subsequently increased. However recruitment procedures still need to be improved, especially in relation to advertising vacancies, interviewing candidates, and including medical personnel on interview panels. In two aspects clubs appear not to be compliant with current FA medical regulations.

Sport, health and drugs: a critical re-examination of some key issues and problems.

One of the major justifications for the ban on the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sport has been that relating to the protection of the health of athletes. This paper subjects this argument to critical analysis by putting it in the context of the broader relationship between sport and health. More particularly, the paper seeks to unravel some of the complexities of this relationship by an examination of: (i) some aspects of sports sponsorship, particularly with alcohol and tobacco companies; (ii) the health risks associated with elite level sport; and (iii) the widespread and legal use within the sporting context of drugs that can have dangerous side effects. The paper concludes with an examination of some aspects of anti-doping policies within sport and it is suggested that a more imaginative approach to athlete education is needed to prevent the misuse of drugs.