Under The FA's Doping Control Programme, a total of 1645 tests were conducted during the 2006-07 season. This represents 23% of all sports drug tests carried out in the UK during this period.

Operated in partnership with UK Sport, the FA programme accounted for 29% of all out-of-competition drug testing conducted in the UK, with over three times as many tests than the next sport, rugby league. In total, The FA spends around half a million pounds each year on Doping Control.

The testing runs parallel with an extensive drug education and awareness programme, aimed primarily at youngsters and operated in co-ordination with the Premier League, Football League and PFA. Every player registered with a club in English football from the age of 9-18 receives a detailed drugs and doping control education resource pack every year from The FA.

Next season The FA will release the most comprehensive single sport awareness programme to date through a series of educational films, ensuring that every player and member of staff linked with a professional football club is fully briefed on drugs, their effects and the doping control process.

There were a total of seven positive tests during the 2006-07 season, a drop from 12 the previous season:

2 x Terbutaline

1 x no case to answer as the player had a Therapeutic Use

Exemption (TUE), 1 x formal warning

1 x Testosterone

no case to answer as the raised Testosterone/Epitestosterone

was proved to be naturally occurring

1 x Prednisolone

no case to answer as the player had a TUE

1 x cocaine

player banned for six months

1 x cannabis

player warned and required to appear before a Disciplinary

Commission six months later

1 x salbutamol

no case to answer as the player had a TUE