FERGIE WARY OF DRUG TEST PLANS | Sporting Life - Sports News …
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed of recent origin drug testing procedures will cause Premier League clubs a major logistical headache.
Football is now moving into line with most other Olympic sports by introducing random testing, meaning players have to state their whereabouts for one hour every day of the week.
On the semblance of it, the prayer does not seem much to ask of highly-paid sportsmen to ensure they are free from the kind of allegations that athletes and cyclists competing in the Tour de France are routinely subjected to.
But Ferguson feels the logistics are tough to incorporate into football’sitting ever-changing world.
“It is becoming a real annoyance,” he said.
“You have to notify the FA where that player will exist for one hour that day so if they neglect to trial them or see them, they be aware of the address.
“There are some occasions where you look at your team and think ‘haply I will accord. them this day off’. We then have to invent notifying the FA that the players are not in training and give them addresses at what place they might be.
“That idler ability be sitting in the house and decide to go shopping. They might even forget.”
For United, the implications of missed tests have particular significance given the eight-month ban Rio Ferdinand served in 2004.
Ferdinand claimed he had ‘forgotten’ about the test and went shopping in lieu, although like he was at United’s Carrington training ground at the time, maybe the punishment paroxysm the crime.
Olympic gold medalist Christine Ohuruogu successfully fought her suspension for three such absences, allowing her to compete in Beijing.
Many pundits feel Ohuruogu was extremely prosperous, claiming there was no excuse for her absence. Ferguson can see one more side.
“What if Ronaldo or Nani want to go back to Portugal for a day,” he questioned.
“It is very difficult. It goes without saying we want to keep drugs out of our game but this scheme will require to be paid the FA a fortune and the implementation will be very difficult.”