Swine flu strikes footballers
28th October, 2009
Over the years footballers traits have been restrained or banned and now the infamous “footballers spit” is about to be stopped. The English Premier League has been warned of the affects that spitting on the pitch has to those both on and off the pitch with regards to swine flu.
It has been revealed that there are several players that have caught the flu over the last week or so and this has caused the Health Protection Agency to perk up and investigate how the spread could be controlled.
The warning to stop the phlegm flowing has come after several players, that have not been named yet, have been taken ill with the virus, however it seems that football players are yet to seem concerned and continue to spend a large percentage of the match spitting. A spokesperson from the HPA talked of her disgust of the habit that has increasingly developed for the worse over the years explaining, “It’s unhygienic and unhealthy, particularly if you spit close to other people. Footballers, like the rest of us, wouldn’t spit indoors so they shouldn’t do it on the pitch. This habit is increasing the passing of infections and the habit should be discouraged by the clubs. ”
It was rumoured that Chelsea may be the next team to suffer from the contagious flu but Carlo Ancelotti rapidly squashed any concerns telling the official website that his team will stay fit as he has a “very traditional remedy” which consists of hot milk and red wine. Ancelotti also highlighted the issue that swine flu is not just on the pitch but that it is everywhere, he acknowledged the importance of taking precautions on the pitch but also insisted that there were bigger risks off the pitch.
Both Blackburn and Bolton managers have expressed their concerns for the health of their players but claim that after a doctor’s approval, those players who have contracted the flu and now recovered are alright to return to the game. However, there are additional worries that the illness may affect player’s performance in their next couple of games as well as key players having to be left on the bench if they are exposed to the illness.
A spokesperson from William Hill bookmakers explained that, “Several clubs are apparently suffering from swine flu, so it is not impossible that games could be put at risk if entire squads are struck down”. The bookies are therefore offering odds of 6/1 that one or more matches in the Premier League will be postponed and 1/12 that all games will go ahead as normal.
Whilst confirmation of players has not been revealed, the information that has been leaked may mean that there are some excellent money making bets available if teams are not made up of the best players. Included in this betting market is Bolton’s big game at Old Trafford on the 31st October, with odds of 1/6 that Manchester United will win with Sky Bet. For Blackburn’s game, a team that appear to have been quite badly affected by the flu, can be priced at 20/1 with Betdaq to win their game this weekend.
For more odds on the football visit Betdaq to see what they have to offer this month.
By Gina
