to strengthen the ligament, then pins were
it impossible for them to carry on
inserted to keep it stable.” Currently managing
in the league.”
Reasons behind
his team, Mike is 9 months away from playing
the lack of players aren’t clear but
football again. Getting through the hardest
injuries are considered to be one of
physical part of his recovery, it’s becoming more
them. After providing 100 players
psychological. He said: “Mentally, I will take a
with a questionnaire,
few more years to fully recover. When I go in for
it was found that 34
a tackle I will be scared of what might happen,
of them had been
it will completely change the way I play. I’ve
injured by a bad
obviously been in a lot of physical pain but
challenge. Adding to
it’s mental as well. I get so frustrated having to
this, the average time
watch and hear about people playing, but there’s
spent recovering was
nothing I can do.”
3 to 4 months, half of
Whilst the views of players vary, referees at
the Sunday League
this level seem to maintain a similar opinion.
football season. Mike
Referee John Thompson said: “Look, were
Sadler, 21, has been
not playing at a professional level, I don’t
and taken for an X-Ray, Charlie wasn’t the
recovering for over a year. He said: “I won’t
make decisions that will ruin the game; it gets
only one who was devastated. He said: My dad
be back playing until August, by then it would
us refs a lot of abuse. You get more abuse for
couldn’t deal with it and left, that made it even
have been just over 2 years since the injury.”
sending someone off, so it’s best to just let it
harder to deal with.”Two operations and five
Mike had his cruciate knee ligament ruptured
go.” However studies in France revealed that
screws later Charlie’s dad told him how it was all
and bent from a tackle in a pre-season friendly.
players cause 90 percent of physical and verbal
paid for. His older brother was preparing to go
He said: “The guy came in at knee height, my
abuse. A ruling was also passed in 2006 that
to University but his parents had to use money
leg was on the ball, I felt my leg bend and my
made attacking a referee the equivalent to
they had saved up to pay for Charlie’s
attacking a police officer. The same rules
operations. He said: “Technically it was
have not been made in the UK. There
was paying my parents, that wasn’t nice to hear!” To this day, Charlie wonders what could have been and struggles with a lot of injuries because of what happened.
The referee didn’t take any action, not even a free kick was awarded,.
His drive for football has been damaged along with his motivation and confidence.
is violence in amateur football all over the world. Due to the professional game overshadowing grass roots football, solutions made at the highest level don’t take effect in all standards of the game. In the Premiership, there have been many cases of players being sent off for
knee just popped, I thought it was broken.”
a late, high-footed tackle. This is considered
He commented: “When I see Wade Elliot of
“The referee didn’t take any action, not
standard in Sunday League football. This raises
Burnley for example, being a success from
even a free kick was awarded, and he adjudged
the question of why the same rules do not apply
non league, I always wonder if that could have
it to be 50/50.” Ligament damage can take
at every level. There have already been 48 red
been me.” With a rapid decline in many areas
four times longer than bone to recover. Sports
cards and 748 yellow cards (an average of 26
of Sunday League football, there are very few
injury specialist Dr. James Calder commented:
yellow cards per team) in the first half of the
solutions being created. The ‘Respect the Ref,’
“With bone, its solid and is set when it heals,
Premiership season. In amateur football the
campaign was launched in 2008 when statistics
ligaments have to be reformed and take a lot
figures are very different. Each team averages
revealed, that on average, 7,000 referee’s quit
more time to regain their strength.”
11 yellow cards and 1 red in the Sunday District
football every year. Debate is still being raised
“Another part of ligament damage is the long
about whether or not it is working. Not only
term affect, often they never fully heal. Normally
These statistics raise the question of
referees are quitting the game. In the last four
patients are given a percentage and it’s rarely 100
discipline in the league and show part of the
years 2,728 Sunday teams have dropped out of
percent.” Mike underwent surgery to reconstruct
reason why the game is so aggressive at this
the league. Darren Parker of the Hampshire
and stabalise his Anterior Cruciate Ligament.
standard. The hard-hitting challenges affect
FA commented: “Often teams can’t get a team
He said: “They took muscle from my thigh
players in different ways. Whether it’s a long
League in a season.
contributors
his money as it was the rent money he
WORDS: JACK WHITLOCK / DESIGN: SCOTT NEWMAN
together every week, this makes
p37