Fa Barclaycard Premiership News Update

Fa Barclaycard Premiership News
( 11 November 2008 )

English Premiership football News

Top players face new drug tests
Fa Barclaycard Premiership footballers and stars are to face Olympic-style, random out-of-competition drug testing.

A player per team is tested after each match 30 players but in the future May undergo a further five tests per year.

As for British Olympic athletes, they must disclose their location for one hour each day, including holidays.

Under the World Anti-Doping Code, football is necessary to align with other Olympic team sports such as rugby and cricket.

UK Sport, the body which finances the Olympic sport and leads Great Britain to fight against doping program, says that the "whereabouts decision" has worked well for other sports for years.

John Steele, sports UK CEO, told BBC Radio 5 Live: "This initiative, in partnership with professional footballers Association (PFA) is really the place where soccer professional, to bring them into line with other athletes and continue the fight against doping in all sports.

"All we can do that fosters this battle is very positive."

The new tests will be both for performance-enhancing drugs substances and recreation.

Manchester United Rio Ferdinand defend received eight-month ban for failing to attend a drugs test at the club's Carrington training in 2003.

And former Chelsea goalkeeper Mark Bosnich bag was the club and has made nine months of the ban in the same year after testing positive for cocaine.

Another Chelsea player, Adrian Mutu has been suspended by the Football Association for seven months in 2004 after failing drugs test.

The practice of declaring an athlete to where for one hour each day in advance to allow testing of medicines to be administered in the short term, is common to Olympic sports such as cycling and athletics.

All British Olympians, regardless of their sport, have been tested and restrictions in setting up for the Beijing Games and the same rules apply to footballers.

Sprinter Christine Ohuruogu has suffered years of the ban sports in 2006 when she failed to turn up in its location, lack of fight against doping testers three times.

She also received a lifetime ban on Olympic Games, but the suspension was later overturned on appeal.

While Olympic athletes are now familiar with the routine footballers May not take kindly to be linked to a specific location at a time each day
However, players will be able to change their fate with only a minute's notice.

For example, a player reach common ground in mid-day could change its regime by text messaging anti-doping testers to one minute at noon, so I was stuck in traffic or kept at home.

Andy Parkinson, UK Sport head of operations for a clean sport, insists he has not been to make life difficult for footballers.

"The last thing we want is for football to be in this position where he does not focus enough - do not put controls in place - and suddenly is a fantastic sport with a profile in a situation crisis, "he told The Sun newspaper.

"The identity of the players on the list will be decided by UK Sport and the FA.

"We will take into account the behavior of athletes in the past, long-term injury, perhaps where they disappeared from Eastern Europe for six months to get sorted injury, or if they had a (former) anti-doping rule violation. "

It is reported that UK Sport and FA officials will meet over the next two months to develop a player to register before the move.

The system should start next season with a new version of the WADA Code should be introduced on 1 January 2009.

by bbcnews.