Bryan English honoured

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EMINENT ENGLISH LISTED

The work of Chelsea's medical director, Dr. Bryan English, has been recognised by his appearance in The Times newspaper's Britain's top doctors directory.

A list of 140 eminent specialists whom the newspaper describes as largely unsung has been published and Dr. English, who is chair of the Premier League Doctors Group, is one of four names in the Sports Medicine section.

'It is a nice accolade,' he says. 'In medicine, if you are judged that way then it is a complement.'

The Premier League Doctors Group has succeeded in raising the standard of care available to injured players at stadiums.

In the wake of the injury Petr Cech suffered in 2006, an initiative from Chelsea and supported by the Premier League led to a minimum list of equipment that must be on hand at the grounds, and minimal standards of training for medical personal that go on the field of play.

Doctors and physios qualify via a two-day course where they learn how to rescue people with neck or spinal injuries, and even how to deal with possible impalement on advertising hoardings. Without passing the course, it is not possible to work at games.

'It is not being followed by Europe yet but they view it as a good idea,' reports Dr English who has worked at Chelsea since 2005.

'The Premier League Doctors Group keeps pushing for the raising of standards and now the Premier League has agreed to support it financially as well as administratively. We meet regularly and when a medical issue come up in football, there is a voice or support to give it medical backing.'

[Kostas 1,468]

Not really in love with our medical team since Bosingwa's and Essien's cases but it has to be said that we're in better condition than most top teams.

Credit to him for raising the PL standards but some teams have trouble following (take note Arsenal).

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Not really in love with our medical team since Bosingwa's and Essien's cases but it has to be said that we're in better condition than most top teams.

Credit to him for raising the PL standards but some teams have trouble following (take note Arsenal).

Yeah I agree. But those may be down to bad luck rather than the actual team, who knows. But it's good to see Chelsea and English getting improvements across the board.