Doping in Premier League

[Dublin blue 75]

Heavy metal football

 

[Harryflashman]

There has been a lot of speculation over the years that players who struggle a lot with long term injuries, out for 6-months at a time are actually serving doping bans. Many of those injuries happen during training or off-pitch.

Jack Wilshere was one of the most talked about in those terms.

There was a bbc Scotland programme where Gary O’Connor revealed he’d been banned and nobody told . Hard to believe he’s an isolated case .

SCOTLAND striker Garry O’Connor served a secret ban for using cocaine, it was claimed last night. A shock report said the star was banned while playing for Birmingham City in the English Premier League.

A shock report said the star was banned while playing for Birmingham City in the English Premier League, but the punishment was kept quiet so he could “battle his demons” in private. The English FA and bosses at the Sporting Chance clinic are said to have
backed the club’s handling of the case. It’s understood Birmingham were praised for taking care of their player. Weeks after O’Connor failed the drugs test on October 19, 2009, his manager, Scotland legend Alex McLeish, told reporters he was injured. He spent most of the season sidelined with a hip problem. McLeish said at a press conference: “The big ’un has got to go for an operation and we could be talking three or four months.”
Former Scotland and Rangers boss McLeish did not mention the drugs test, and the FA went on to ban the player for two months

 

[Brigadier2]

Wada seems to have changed their stance on doping, it doesn't end a career anymore if it's in your system, athletes say they didn't know what they was taking then it's just a suspension, pogba excuse was he was told he was taking performance enhancing vitamins .
That tennis player who got caught red handed got a pathetic suspension, the risk and reward isn't even a question anymore, anyone who thinks the most morally bankrupt club that's ever existed isn't going to cheat is deluded.

 

[Albert Wood]

Do you believe doping exists in current game? Personally I believe RS and City have been doping, or have found some other performance enhancing material to improve their intensity in games. I find it strange that RS and City seem to have exactly same pattern of form, where they are world beaters 1 season, challenging for 4 trophies, then next season look useless, despite having exactly the same players and manager. RS, went from challenging for four trophies in 2021/2022, to finishing 5th and getting nearly 30 points less, than previous season, with exactly the same players.

I understand that the RS were giving thier players a medication for Asthma called Salbutamol which is a inhaler to increase oxygen intake which is banned in Athletics

 

[Bryan+]

Do you believe doping exists in current game? Personally I believe RS and City have been doping, or have found some other performance enhancing material to improve their intensity in games. I find it strange that RS and City seem to have exactly same pattern of form, where they are world beaters 1 season, challenging for 4 trophies, then next season look useless, despite having exactly the same players and manager. RS, went from challenging for four trophies in 2021/2022, to finishing 5th and getting nearly 30 points less, than previous season, with exactly the same players.

There is a very famous YouTube clip of a prominent kopite YouTuber or podcaster speculating with accuracy the fall off their players due to the discussion around Peds, he got it spot I believe. I think eventually it will catch one player or team out and it won’t be who you suspect and will be comical to suggest they took them and where still garbage

 

[brettangellnightporter]

The fact that barely a single footballer in the top leagues has been caught, shows you that they're not looking/can't catch them.

 

[Harryflashman]

The fact that barely a single footballer in the top leagues has been caught, shows you that they're not looking/can't catch them.

aye , as an other poster @Vaughan accurately pointed out , it’s either this or one of the most lucrative and rewarding sports in the world is significantly cleaner then those smaller with less at stake .

Tough call isn’t it ?

 

[Rita_Poon]

I havent read all the replies yet - apologies if its been posted.

With the amount of money involved, theres no doubt in my mind that doping is happening.

I follow boxing as one of my other sports and look at what happened with Whyte and Benn. Promoters and boxers etc have too much money and would bury the likes of UKAD if it went to court, purely because of the finances.

When you look at the money the likes of City, RS, Barca & Real have, they could easily afford to make failed tests go away. Its all well and good saying with modern nutrition, sports science etc that footy players can go on for longer. But I am not buying it, there's no drop off in these players, granted they are elite, but they should be showing some signs of aging.

As far as I know, there isnt as much money involved in cycling. Was it Lance Armstrong? Look at how much he got away with.

Kim Collins was a pro sprinter into his 40's and is the only man in history thus far to run under 10 seconds in the 100m in a competitive race over 40 years old. There are unusual examples out there, I reckon avoiding injury and living ultra clean goes a long way to longevity. Foreman retired at 28 and had a decade of debauchery burning through money like a banshee only to come back at 38 and win it all again at 45. Was Jack Nicklaus playing and winning golf titles into his 70's?
I love the romance of a person that fits a calling perfectly, defies the odds and succeeds, but there's some clever people working in labs to make super humans even faster and stronger. Technological advancement and the sheer computing power of modern pharma means there's a world of wonder drugs in labs right now either being tested or drip fed through shadowy sports programs. Hate to get all mengele yet there'll be tests and trials done on children because of the developmental aspect of the growth phases to exploit for instance. The more you look, the more you find greed and the willingness to cheat.

 

[KaiserEFC]

There’s doping in every sport 100% it’s in the PL.

 

[KaiserEFC]

Oh and if one club is doing it they will all be doing it. Including Everton.

 

[sbbefc]

It will 100% happen. The clubs who have got their act together will be giving their players supplements which are preformance enhancing but not banned. They will always be two or three steps ahead and by time it's banned they'll have moved on to something else.

There will also be players who take it upon themselves to take stuff. It will be a huge temptation for those at lower levels. Especially those who want to make the jump up to a better league or a better contract.

Football/Fifa/uefa/premier league won't be bothered though. A drug scandal will only tarnish the brand.

I'm a big cycling fan and I know it has a problem. Other sports too, Athletics, tennis etc. But the amount of people (big football fans) who tell me cycling is a joke because of it have their heads firmly in the sand.

Where there's money there will be people looking to cheat. It's human nature.

When are most goals scored? In the last 10 minutes. Having that edge at the end of a game is a huge advantage. Look at the RS.

 

[brettangellnightporter]

aye , as an other poster @Vaughan accurately pointed out , it’s either this or one of the most lucrative and rewarding sports in the world is significantly cleaner then those smaller with less at stake .

Tough call isn’t it ?

Perhaps. Or perhaps we indulge the Walt Disney world aspect. Because with risk/reward, it makes no sense to think noone is trying....

 

[st.domingo]

Playing devils advocate, why is it even illegal tho?

I mean, what the discussion above seems to be concluding is that, in practice, there is little impediment.

Assuming the best resourced clubs will also be so when it comes to performance enhancing anything, what actually is the difference if we’re talking about them buying up the best players versus the best doctors and lawyers and anything else?

 

[brettangellnightporter]

Playing devils advocate, why is it even illegal tho?

I mean, what the discussion above seems to be concluding is that, in practice, there is little impediment.

Assuming the best resourced clubs will also be so when it comes to performance enhancing anything, what actually is the difference if we’re talking about them buying up the best players versus the best doctors and lawyers and anything else?

Messi was growth hormoned to the max in his teens. We were all happy with the result. What about the kids that were just dumped after not making it?

 

[Kendal]

If there is no enforcement there’s not a problem.