About a year ago I posted this piece, in which I wondered how dangerous surfing was compared with a number of other sports. I conducted a little survey, based entirely on my own highs and lows (mostly lows) in the sporting arena, and found that football (soccer) was by far the most dangerous sport of all.
On Saturday night I watched both the France v England rugby game, and Match of the Day. As usual when I watch rugby, I marvel at how hard it is. I shudder to think of the many ways in which serious damage can occur, and thank the Lord for making for 5'10". Because of this, I gave up playing rugby when I was 18. By then, everyone else, save for the scrum half, was bigger than me. I was getting hurt too often, and it was time to pursue the game I've played and loved the most - football.
Twenty one years later I relished Saturday night's Six Nations game in the Stade de France. By its end I had nothing but tremendous admiration for those who take to the rugby field. But I also pondered conversations I used to have with one of my oldest friends, Rich. He played rugby, I played football. We were both reasonable amateur players in our respective sports, and we loved nothing better than to debate which of the two was the toughest game. Rich would say it was obvious, and laugh at me for even suggesting that football was on a par with rugby. But I'd maintain that because of the speed with which football is played, and the way that legs and feet, not bodies and shoulders, are travelling at such velocity towards one's opponents, football was always more likely to result in serious injury.
I was mulling over this contention as I settled down to watch Match of the Day. I was also wondering if my latest football injury, a grade 2 quadriceps strain acquired last Tuesday while playing 5-a-side football, would hold up if I went for a surf on Sunday. And then I saw what happened to Eduardo, the gifted Arsenal striker. Do not watch the clip below if, like me, you are queasy (though mercifully it's not in real time).
For what's it worth, I don't think that the Birmingham City player, Martin Taylor, went into the tackle with any malice. Eduardo was too quick for him, and Taylor was guilty of clumsiness as much as anything else. But the incident is a horror story. Eduardo has apparently suffered a double compound fracture of his lower left leg, and he will surely be out of the game for as much as a year, if not longer.
I duly went for a surf on Sunday. Praa Sands was gorgeous and clean. I had an indifferent first wave, and then, on my second, my strained thigh muscle popped again.
As a consequence of playing football last Tuesday, I now have yet another injury. In the short term, there'll be no surfing for me, certainly no more football on Tuesday nights and definitely lots of rest, ice and compression.
None of this, of course, even vaguely compares to the trauma that Eduardo is going through. All I can say, to Rich and to any other doubters, is that football is a very, very tough game. I hope that Eduardo one day takes to the field again, and despite my belief that Taylor did not act with intent, I hope that anyone playing football, at any level, will take heed and never, ever go in for a tackle with studs raised again. The potential consequences are just too horrific.
