Rehabilitation at a Professional Football Club

Abstract

As a medical student, I remember being told by one of my teachers that "Man is always of importance to himself". For those of us who work in professional Fo&tball it is equally apparant that "Some men appear more important than others". The fact is, that professional Footballers have a financial value, they are the financial assets of a Football Club, they are, as it were, the stock-in-trade of football. Recently one player was transferred for £150,000, and one club may value its playing staff at a million pounds. These values depend on the player being physically fit, for the moment a player is injured his financial value is nil. It is right and proper, therefore, that professional football clubs should ensure that their financial assets are properly cared for, and directors are becoming more and more conscious that they must provide adequate and proper medical facilities for their players. When a player is injured, tremendous pressures may be brought upon the medical staff, to ensure his rapid and complete return to fitness. The directors realise that the absence of a star player could reduce the gate for a particular match, they realise that their financial asset is worth nothing while injured. The manager, ever wishing to win matches wants to field his strongest side,and wants the injured player returned to fitness as quickly as possible. The player, too, wishes a quick return to fitness, not only because he wants to be well again, but because he misses the thrill of playing and suffers financially by not being in the side. It is against this background of economics that rehabilitation at a Professional Football Club takes place.