The Football Association Sports Medicine and Sports Science Department is actively involved in research and education programmes to improve the level of care for the injured football player; minimise the risk of football injury by improving our understanding of the risk factors and mechanism of football injuries; and to enhance football performance by improving methods of preparation.
The Sports Medicine and Sports Science Department has a track record of organising large scale football injury research projects and has published these findings in international peer reviewed journals. Some of the more notable projects are listed below.
In conjunction with FA Learning, St George’s Park Medical Centre is a hub for the education of the next generation of sports medicine and sports science clinicians in football. Education and training is co-ordinated for personnel at all levels of football.
Published Research
Fitness/Performance Testing
Strudwick A, Reilly T, Doran D (2002) Anthropometric and fitness profiles of elite players in two football codes. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. Jun;42(2):239-42.
Ali, A; Williams, C; Hulse, M; Strudwick, A; Reddin, J; Howarth, L; Eldred, J; Hirst, M; McGregor, S (2007) Reliability and validity of two tests of soccer skill. Journal of Sports Sciences, Volume 25, Number 13, November, pp. 1461-1470(10)
Erith, S.J (2004) An overview of fitness testing within English professional football clubs. Journal of Sports Sciences 22, 247.
Erith, Samuel J.; Williams, Clyde (2005) Fitness Testing Within English Professional Soccer And Training Induced Changes In Elite Female Soccer Players: 432 Board #23 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: May 2005 Volume 37 - Issue 5 - p S78
Injury Audits
Woods C, Hawkins R, Hulse M, Hodson A (2003) The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football: an analysis of ankle sprains. Br J Sports Med;37:233-238
Woods C, Hawkins R D, Maltby S, Hulse M, Thomas A, Hodson A (2004) The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football—analysis of hamstring injuries. Br J Sports Med 2004;38:36-41
Price R J, Hawkins R D, Hulse M A, Hodson A (2004) The Football Association medical research programme: an audit of injuries in academy youth football. Br J Sports Med;38:466-471
Woods C, Hawkins R, Hulse M, Hodson A [& T Andersen, R Bahr] (2003) The Football Association Medical Research Programme: an audit of injuries in professional football—analysis of preseason injuries. Br J Sports Med;36:436-441
Hawkins R D, Hulse M A, Wilkinson C, Hodson A, Gibson M (2001) The association football medical research programme: an audit of injuries in professional football. Br J Sports Med;35:43-47
Cloke D J, Spencer S, Hodson A, Deehan D (2009) The epidemiology of ankle injuries occurring in English Football Association academies. Br J Sports Med;43:1119-1125
Bennett P (2006) Trauma injuries sustained by female footballers. Trauma April vol. 8 no. 2 69-76
Hawkins RD, Fuller CW (1999) A prospective epidemiological study of injuries in four English professional football clubs.Br J Sports Med. Jun;33(3):196-203.
Hawkins RD, Fuller CW (1998) An examination of the frequency and severity of injuries and incidents at three levels of professional football. Br J Sports Med. Dec;32(4):326-32.
Overuse Injuries
Hodson, A (April 1999) Too much too soon? The risk of ‘overuse’ injuries in young football players. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. Volume 3, Issue 2, Pages 85-91
Football Science/Physiology
Bailey DM, Erith SJ, Griffin PJ, Dowson A, Brewer DS, Gant N, Williams C (2007) Influence of cold-water immersion on indices of muscle damage following prolonged intermittent shuttle running. J Sports Sci. Sep;25(11):1163-70.
Erith, S., Williams, C., Stevenson, E.J., Chamberlain, S., Crews, P. and Rushbury, I (2006) The effect of high carbohydrate meals with different glycemic indices on recovery of performance during prolonged intermittent high intensity shuttle running. International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 16 (4), pp. 393-404
Brooks, J.H.M., Erith, S.J (2008) Warm-up programmes in sport. BMJ; 337:a2381 doi: 10.1136/bmj.a2381
Foskett, A; Erith, S J.; Brooks, J H.M; Williams, C (2003) Carbohydrate Ingestion and Performance During Soccer Related Activity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise: May 2003 - Volume 35 - Issue 5 - p S297
Hunter, D.G., Spriggs, J (October 2000) Investigation into the relationship between the passive flexibility and active stiffness of the ankle plantar-flexor muscles. Clinical Biomechanics. Volume 15, Issue 8, Pages 600-606
Hunter, D.G., Coveney, V., Spriggs, J., (2001) Investigation into the effect of static stretching on the active stiffness and damping characteristics of the ankle joint plantar flexors. Physical Therapy in Sport, Volume 2, Issue 1, Pages 15-22
Coveney V.A., Hunter G.D., Spriggs J. (2001) "Analysis of lower leg behaviour by a free oscillation method" Journal of Biomechanics, 34,6, 827 – 830.
Books
Ekstrand, J, Hodson, A, Karlsson, J (2003) Football Medicine. Informa Healthcare; 1 edition (12 Jun 2003) (Hardcover Book)
Brain
Gibson RM, Kemp S, Duff A and Nelson M (2003). Brain injury and heading in soccer. BMJ. Rapid response. Published 26th December 2003.
Gibson RM, Kemp S, Ilman N (2011). A prospective longitudinal study into the neuropsychological and neuroimaging consequences of playing football. (Manuscript in preparation).
Radiology
Barker, R.P, Lee, J.C., Healy, J.C (2009) Normal Sonographic Anatomy of the Posterolateral Corner of the Knee. AJR 2009; 192:73-79
Lee, J.C and Healy, J.C (2004) Sonography of Lower Limb Muscle Injury. AJR 2004; 182:341-351
Lee J.C., Calder J.D.F., Healy, JC (2008) Posterior Impingement Syndromes of the Ankle. Semin Musculoskelet Radiol; 12(2): 154-169
Lee J.C., Healy, JC (2005) Sonographic Anatomy of the Wrist and Hand. RadioGraphics, 25, 1577-1590
