posted on 2010-12-06, 11:44authored byScott Drawer
Risk management is composed of three major elements viz., hazard identification, risk
estimation and risk evaluation. The aim of hazard identification and risk estimation is to
identify the outcomes from risk, the magnitude of the associated con&quences from risk, and
the estimation of the probabilities of these outcomes. Previous work focused on hazard
identification and risk estimation and identified the relatively high risks associated with
playing professional football. By adhering to the risk management process, the aim of this
thesis was to determine the significance of these high risks to football clubs and their players.
A theoretical framework was designed to evaluate the influence of player injury on the
financial and playing performance of professional football clubs. This framework was also
used to assess, through use of cost benefit analysis, the practicalities of investing in suitable
injury prevention strategies, to reduce the risks to football clubs and their players. Former
professional footballers were surveyed to investigate the long-term medical and socioeconomic
consequences associated with the high risks of playing professional football.
The results identified the high financial costs associated with player injury on professional
football clubs. Although the high risks of player injury have a relatively minor effect on teamperformance
of the Premier League clubs, this effect still has a relatively major influence on
the financial performance of the club. In contrast, the influence of player injury to teamperformance
was relatively major for Division I and Division 2 clubs, but this had a relatively
minor effect on financial performance. The application of cost benefit analysis to the
investment of specialist personnel to reduce the risks of injury demonstrated that the
proposals were practicable for Premier League and Division I clubs only. In addition, it was
also demonstrated that the high risks associated with playing professional football have a
significant influence on the long-term well-being of foriner players. One-third of former
players had been medically diagnosed osteoarthritic in a lower limb joint. The majority of
players also perceived that injury had a negative influence on their present and future welfare.
The results demonstrate that the consequences associated with the relatively high acute injury
risk also have a significant effect on the financial and playing performance of football clubs
and the future welfare of their players.