Football News: Collison Hits Out At West Ham Doctor

Image from: westhamtillidie.com

Jack Collison has made some extremely serious claims in recent days, ones that I am not sure he realises just how serious they are. Collison has claimed that a doctor deliberately failed to treat a bad knee injury, as the doctor did not want to have to deal with a long term patient. Collison suffered the injury back in 2009, while a young player at West Ham United, during a match against Wigan Athletic.

The following day, despite the injury, the doctor was happy to have him fly to Spain on a team trip, rather than follow standard procedure of holding him back until a scan could be done. In the end, Collison, who now plays for Peterborough United, was forced to have an operation which kept him out of the team for over a year. So far Collison has not named the doctor in question, or clarify if that doctor is still in the same role with the Hammers.

I do wonder if he has realised the severity of his claims, as this is the kind of charge that could possibly lead to a doctor being 'struck off' and unable to legally practice medicine in the UK. If Collison is correct, and it was purely laziness that led the doctor to risk a young lad's future health and career, then Collison should really be making an official complaint, rather than gossiping to newspapers about it. The next youngster might not be so lucky and able to rebuild a career lower down the league pyramid, like Collison has been able to.

"I knew it was a bad one straight away, I gripped on to the grass trying to stop the intense pain shooting through my leg but nothing would work," he wrote in a column for The Independent. "I was disappointed the next day when I found out the club doctor was content for me to fly to Spain on a team trip rather than to get my knee sorted.

"This was one of the first times I realised there was more that went on behind the scenes. People were in it for themselves, and over the next year I felt how little regard there was for me as a young professional. I considered I had been put at risk by this doctor to avoid him having a long-term injury on his hands. How disappointing was that?"

That is his exact words, words that should have huge ramifications, ones that could easily be backed up by medical testimonies from the time. If Collison wishes to stand by his claims, which he should, if they are true, then the PFA should be verifying them and then taking action themselves. Clearly their members are being put at risk, if this is true, and they should be wanting to protect them.

Written by Tris Burke November 09 2015 05:17:25