Dispatches tonight

[The Large One]

The show's main premise was that the FA is not taking drug-testing as seriously as it could or should be, with the inference that to do so would catch out too many 'top' players, something the FA - which has sold its soul to the moneymen - has no interest in doing (the harm and damage to their *cough* reputation would be huge), and so appears to be sweeping it under the carpet. The mere point that a journalist has highlighted this, and attempted to call the FA to account is a good thing.

For anyone who wanted a salacious gutter tabloid-type exposé of any given footballer on that show, that was never going to happen (did anyone really expect that?), so I don't see how people could judge that documentary on the back of hoping for one.

 

[Tom Bombadil]

The show's main premise was that the FA is not taking drug-testing as seriously as it could or should be, with the inference that to do so would catch out too many 'top' players, something the FA - which has sold its soul to the moneymen - has no interest in doing (the harm and damage to their *cough* reputation would be huge), and so appears to be sweeping it under the carpet. The mere point that a journalist has highlighted this, and attempted to call the FA to account is a good thing.

For anyone who wanted a salacious gutter tabloid-type exposé of any given footballer on that show, that was never going to happen (did anyone really expect that?), so I don't see how people could judge that documentary on the back of hoping for one.

The problem was the " main premise" was poorly presented after the initial outing of some pretty uninteresting players.

For me there were some important issues hidden at the back of the programme, that just weren't presented or developed well enough. It was typical dispatches, tabloid hype swamping the real story.

 

[pauldcpfc]

Richard Sadlier now saying Millwall stuffed him with pills

Before a game where he scored 2 vs us.

As for our drug tests being missed, 4 of those were already known and revealed previously. That's what happens when we use 3 different places for training.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

If I didn't know any better I'd think this was an episode of Brass Eye.

I was thinking EXACTLY the same!

I wouldn't have been in the least bit surprised if the presenter had gone undercover & started coming out with phrases like: "Does it make your arms feel like a fortnight in a bad balloon?"

 

[Tooting Gull]

They did well to get that list of players, though. Whatever the shortcomings, I am genuinely shocked by the programme's central revelation that players are regularly being not only caught, but banned for drug abuse - and neither the FA or the club is doing what should be done, making it public to dissuade others. To those who are doing it, this creates a culture where you'd think 'why not'?

It is also clear that the bans are not correct, and much weaker on average, by the standards of other sports, that the testers are having the piss taken out of them with (rather than the footballers) with no-shows, and that the veil of secrecy is deceiving buying clubs further down the line. If someone has had an FA ban for drugs, you need to know about it, not be sold some pup about a groin operation that lasted four months.

Everything, even on this serious issue, is being sacrificed for image. I thought it was a good programme, actually revealing something unlike some of the recent FIFA/agent bung TV efforts.

 

[southern_sid]

They did well to get that list of players, though. Whatever the shortcomings, I am genuinely shocked by the programme's central revelation that players are regularly being not only caught, but banned for drug abuse - and neither the FA or the club is doing what should be done, making it public to dissuade others. To those who are doing it, this creates a culture where you'd think 'why not'?

It is also clear that the bans are not correct, and much weaker on average, by the standards of other sports, that the testers are having the piss taken out of them with no-shows (rather than the footballers) and that the veil of secrecy is deceiving buying clubs further down the line. If someone has had an FA ban for drugs, you need to know about it, not be sold some pup about a groin operation that lasted four months.

Everything, even on this serious issue, is being sacrificed for image. I thought it was a good programme, actually revealing something unlike some of the recent FIFA/agent bung TV efforts.

imo players shouldnt be banned for party drugs.

Performance enhancing drugs, they should be for sure.

 

[New Carpet?]

It was a bit Brass Eye, wasn't it?

They also seemed to use backing music from Garth Marenghi's Darkplace.

All the show did was highlight a couple of players who'd completely disppeared into footballing obscurity (didn't realise Barnsley released O'Connor last season, let alone have him on their books in the first place).

True, it did raise awareness that there were flaws in the FA's anti-doping system, which I'm sure they'll review and revamp, but it wasn't the shock expose that the advertising billed it to be.

Good to see a little cameo from Leon Knight (he's alright ), who should have used the show more as a plug for somebody to sign him up.

As for the club he referred to with his coke anecdote, I'd be surprised if it was us. Given the number of cancelled tests, Swansea seemed the more likely location of that story.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Funny how Leon Knight popped-up on a programme about durgs in footie. I wonder how he was seemingly so ITK when it came to teammates doin' a bit of gear of an evening. Anything else you'd like to tell us Sunshine??

 

[Gus is god]

Wonder who the england players are that have been sort of named. That might have taken steroids