The Truth About Drugs In Football

Dispatches investigates the use of both recreational and performance-enhancing substances in our national game.

Reporter Antony Barnett examines football's drug-testing regime, raises questions about how the sport deals with its drug cheats and also looks at the use of some bizarre but legal treatments players undergo.


On tonight at 8pm if anyone is interested on Channel 4.

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If this is anything like the Football club one, it should be juicey.Id expect to see some very interesting names, named in this one.

 

I bet a top player will be exposed on it tonight

 

We'll defo hears the names of Rio, Mutu and Toure mentioned thats for sure.

 

Thanks for the heads up Ron.

 

Channel 4 damn, me Ariel got blown last night, i have only 4 irish channels

 

I know its considered a no no but taking coke, heroine or even the less harmful wacky tabaky does nothing to improve a players performance, quite the opposite so I personally have never got the banning of players for this other than the sports image.

Steroids I can understand totally as that is improving your bodies performance beyond its natural ability but getting stoned sure doesnt.

 

Would coke before a game not have them flying around buzzing like bee's?

Don't know because I haven't partaken... lol

 

Cocaine is a performance enhancing drug, and has been used as such for years. It gives athletes extra stamina/endurance and enables them to operate at a higher level for larger periods of time.

In essence, they feel like Superman.

But it's too easy to detect that's why other drugs have been used/created since.

Heroine would be similar, but it just makes the person belive they are invincible rather than actually improving performance.

Marijuana would just mellow a person out, but it does make you more alert, so it could be helpful in some sports.

And WADA need to be consistent, its easy to ban drugs in ALL sports, rather than picking and choosing.

 

U can get it on line on their website....

 

players use alot of coke when they're riding

 

Damn you! I really want to try some of this now!

 

Scorpio from Dirty Harry who got gassed by Hull a month ago the big name player exposed apparently.

 

Can't make any sense of who you are on about?

 

Bullard

 

Thanks for the heads up I'll set it for record now.

 

Former Birmingham striker Garry O’Connor had cocaine test kept secret

Garry O’Connor, a Scotland striker who played for Birmingham City in the Premier League, failed a drugs test for cocaine while at the club and served a secret ban as he sought and received help for drink and drug problems, Sportingintelligence can reveal.

His identity was kept secret under the terms of the anti-doping discipline process, and because it was deemed that he should be given the best chance to battle his demons without the glare of publicity, sources say.

Birmingham are understood to have been praised for the pastoral care of their player at the time, and the relevant authorities and agencies, including the FA and Sporting Chance clinic, are believed to have agreed with how the case was handled. Sportingintelligence has not confirmed the length of ban O’Connor served but the UK Anti-Doping database contains details of a two-month ban for a metabolite of cocaine around the relevant time, with no name give for the offender.

O’Connor, 28, is expected to be named by Channel 4′s Dispatches programme on Monday night (link to Dispatches website here) as a multi-million pound player who transferred clubs without his new club knowing about his drugs past.

O’Connor has, in the past, commanded fees of millions of pounds, for example when sold by Hibs to Lokomotiv Moscow in 2006 for £1.6m, and then when sold for a reported £2.7m to Birmingham in 2007.

But since his drugs test – which sources say was in the 2009-10 Premier League season, when O’Connor missed the majority of the season with a hip problem – the player has not changed hands for any money. He spent time on loan at Barnsley and then moved to Hibs as a free agent this summer.

Sources tell Sportingintelligence that Hibernian have been contacted by Dispatches in recent days to ask if they knew O’Connor had a failed drugs test and ban on his CV. Hibs are not commenting for the moment. The player himself is not expected to speak about his situation until tomorrow at the earliest. He was arrested in May in Edinburgh on suspicion of possessing cocaine and faces legal action.

Positive drugs tests in English professional football are not uncommon, with cocaine and dope the most frequently discovered substances, as we reported in April 2010. The vast majority of cases are discovered in young teenage players, who are often banned but then assisted with education and / or rehab programmes to mend their ways. Mostly their identities are never revealed because either they don’t re-offend, or they do and are forced out of the game entirely.

Dispatches is sure to foster debate about the best way to handle players who test positive for social drugs. The FA insist privately that treatment is as significant a part of the process as punishment, especially when most players caught are teenagers making a first ‘mistake’.

O’Connor is understood to have sought help for his problems over a number of years and is continuing to receive assistance as he looks towards recovery.

http://www.sportingintelligence.com...aine-test-kept-secret-to-aid-recovery-120902/

 

Kicking off now on channel 4 folks.

 

So the Gary o conor story I posted was indeed correct. Mad the way they pushed it under the carpet so easily .

How would you feel if say Stevie or carra were found guilty of taking drugs ?

 

I feel they should be banned same as I would feel about any other player.


This programme is sh1te unless it names all the names on their list.