The Centre Circle

This is a topic for debate that I hope will grow as I think something needs to be done to kerb the amount of injuries that modern day players are suffering. I only decided to write on this subject after looking at the recent spate of injuries to top players recently. Just in the past week looking at the Barcelona v Arsenal game tomorrow, both team in the past couple of weeks have lost vital players to muscle injuries. Iniesta (thigh) and Ibrahimovic (Calf) for Barcelona, Gallas (Calf), Arshavin (Calf) and now Song (Knee) for the Gunners. Is it me, are do there seem to be more players suffering with groin strains, thigh strains, hamstring strains, calf, ankle, knee and achillies injuries then there ever were in years before?

I take you back to 2005 and the injury crisis that Newcastle United went through. I seem to remember that they had a spate of muscle injuries which afflicted amongst others Michael Owen. Having 6-7 players out with similar injuries, the then manager Graham Souness decided to relocate daily training from their state of the art multi million pound training pitches at Darsley Park to the site where the academy players trained. At Arsenal I know that the composition of the pitches at London Colney are exactly the same as that at the Emirates stadium. American football many years ago started to phase out artificial turf pitches because of the hardness, not only leg muscle injuries were affecting the top stars, but also impact injuries landing on hard surfaces after being tackled, despite all the padding they have in that sport.

Herein lies as I see it the problem. My theory, for what is worth is bases on the hardness of football pitches these days. Modern day pitches have a sand base, some of them also have water pumps and irrigation systems under them too so that excess moisture can be sucked out, or drains away very easily. As such on modern hi-tech pitches, there is very little give in the ground when you run on it. Combine this with the speed of the game today alongside a lack of give in the playing surfaces and the player’s body is being jarred all day, every day. All this wear and tear will eventually have a deteriorating effect and any minor problem will be magnified over a long period of time. I think we are starting to see the effects of this.

At the end of a long season, we are seeing a number of players being affected by injuries that could affect not only their club’s chances of picking up silverware, but also their country’s chances too in the upcoming World Cup. I have no way of knowing if I am even partially correct, but I think there should be some investigations made into these ideas, for no football fans that I know want to see the best players continually hampered by injuries. We want to see them performing their skills week in week out on the pitch. 

Any comments on this particular topic? I’d be interested to hear them…