The Football Association has been forced to set up an insurance scheme owing to the culture of players being sued over bad tackles. From next season all 11-a-side teams will have to pay up to £82 a year in cover as part of the National Game Insurance Scheme.
There have been cases where players have tried to sue opponents over broken bones owing to rash challenges on the field. From the next season, 15 player squads of Saturday and Sunday league teams will have to pay £26 for the basic package and £82 for the most comprehensive one.
Mike Dowling, secretary of the Birmingham Amateur Football Association feels, it is not so much about the money but more about the cumbersome processes. Personal accident cover which is mandatory may not be as expensive as your kit but is in no way hassle-free.
Most basic insurance which costs a player £2 a season also needs doctor’s certificates and letter. Yet the benefits may be a paltry £100 a week if you break a log and are off work. In case you have children and pay a mortgage to pay off, this amount is pretty negligible for all the hassle undertaken.
He admitted there was a compensation culture problem. In the six seasons that he had been secretary of the Birmingham AFA, there had been three cases of players trying to take litigation action against opposing players or the opposing team. Even a referee can be cited. Usually players try to get most out of a no win, no fee solicitors situation.
NGIS is being provided by the FA’s appointed broker Bluefin Sport. Mike Brown, secretary of the Amateur Football Alliance, says that FA have formed a deal for clubs which is cost effective and fits football. Former Chelsea and England star Graeme Le Saux appears in a two-minute video promoting the plan.