An Astonishing Statement From Gary Neville

[Smokin Joe]

We all know cyclists ain't the only ones who have been "at it", but click on the link below and scroll down to paragraph six. If the press intend to do their job, this really warrants a proper investigation -

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/aug/21/gary-neville-england-glenn-hoddle

 

[Ashtrayhead]

In today's climate of superinjunctions and footballers and other sportsmen doing their utmost to hush things up, I suspect that no journalist or paper would follow this up. I think the days of the old-fashioned investigative journalist are gone. All they seem to rely on nowadays is the internet and phone hacking! I'm surprised that Neville actually got that piece published in his book!

Hopefully I'll be proved wrong and someone will have the guts to dig deeper.

 

[oldroadman]

Well, I wonder what the Dr Rougier injections contained, to give people a burst of energy just before a match? Couldn't be one of the old favourites, perhaps, if you wnat to know what that may be just see "A Rough Ride". I don't hold much of a brief for Kimmage, but his comment on what and how the needle was used is accurate.
Professional sport, very big money, lots of cover ups, and "preparation". Sound familiar? Except, of course, the authorities (FA, PL, FIFA) have a vested interest in ensuring that no-one is ever caught, otherwise the gravy train may grind to a stop.

 

[wildjetskier]

Isnt Dr Rougier something to do Omega Pharma Lotto, the Pharma bit, cant remember but his weight loss system, if it is the same guy, is "unproven" as far as I can recall

 

[GrumpyGregry]

Walsh and Kimmage are both investigative sports journo's.

 

[monnet]

I know it's all a bit circular but I think we all know the money and power wielded in some sports makes this difficult for journalists to look into, and unfortunately, unless they do the police probably won't be able to act. Unless a tipping point is reached as in the 98 Festina case.

As for drugs in football, I am aware that Wenger has stated he wouldn't take some foreign players because of suspicious medical results. Chelsea are known to use blood spinning (which, though it yields different results, is no different in principle to blood transfusions where you remove your own blood at altitude and then replace it at sea level in the middle of a three week Tour).

And that's before we get to Madrid's alleged involvement in Puerto; doping at Juventus; dodgy lasagne at Spurs (PDM, anyone?)...

'all above aboard, I'm sure' - sounds like he doubts it himself.

 

[User169]

Tony Cascarino has said that he received injections of unknown provenance when playing at Marseille at the behest of then chairman, Bernard Tapie. Tapie was of course a high profile figure in the cycling world too.

 

[mangaman]

We all know cyclists ain't the only ones who have been "at it", but click on the link below and scroll down to paragraph six. If the press intend to do their job, this really warrants a proper investigation -

http://www.guardian....nd-glenn-hoddle

Thanks for the link SJ.

I agree it is astonishing that Neville has been allowed to publish it and a paper has printed that extract.

Unfortunately it would take someone in the FA or EUFA who is an unbiaised anti-drug campaigner to look into it.

I fear it will be forgotten as quickly as the footballers that cyclists say they shared a clinic with during Puerto and Fuentes himself admitted to "helping" http://www.ergogenics.org/484.html

I've actually always liked Neville as a bloke - I suspect he's got a mind of his own and it would have been nice if he'd been even more honest.

After all if someone came near me with a needle, I'd make damn sure I knew what was in it, and I doubt the England team were any different - it's inconceivable a bright bloke like Neville wouldn't have asked and found out.

 

[ufkacbln]

I read somewhere that the sport with the highest ratio of positive drugs tests was Crown Green Bowls

 

[mangaman]

It wouldn't surprise me

I once was working as a doctor in a seaside town renowned for it's bowls.

I saw a lady of a certain age and prescribed a beta-blocker for angina

Next time I saw her, she was very annoyed indeed as it is a banned substance - and she bowled competitively and had been banned.

(These old ladies aren't like Ricardo Ricco or someone - when asked what meds they're on they 'fess up - she listed her meds and they banned her)

Very embarrassing for me

 

[User169]

In the run up to the 1984 olympic games, the usa stopped drug testing after too many athletes failed, including carl lewis..... big coverup sanctioned by the i.o.c. .........

84 olympics is famous for the use of blood doping by the US cycling team, although it was legal at the time. Some of the team contracted hepatitis from the infusions received. Others got sick and didn't perform as well as expected.

One of those involved, Mark Whitehead, died last month.

http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/09/local/la-me-mark-whitehead-20110709