Life's a Ball': Ian Liversedge: The Highs and Lows of a Football Physio

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are bound to be rifts along the way – one party standing their ground over a point of discipline, perhaps, or the other claiming they know how to handle the youngsters- but a sound partnership will help them to ride the storm. One example of a contrast to that scenario is former Liverpool, Aston Villa and now Hull City club doctor Mark Waller, who when he was offered the job by then manager found a condition attached. Towards the end of the book he describes meeting old friends from football when the conversation rarely touches on the game but is more about “the scrapes” they shared. But drinking exploits are the sort of tales that can only have been funny to those taking part and possibly not even then. Fans who followed Oldham in the period he describes might feel slightly short changed to find that many at the club followed a motto Liversedge characterises as “win or loose, have a booze”. respectfully asked why he had suggested such a stipulation for the post and his rather curt riposte was, ‘Because I don’t want any medical team stopping my players training or playing with minor problems. If it is bad enough they will wait for you, but most of them won’t’.” manager informed me I was not to attend the training ground when the players were in for training until after 2pm,” he said.

Liversedge would leave the Toon for Oldham Athletic in 1984 and remain at Boundary Park until the mid-90s. During this period, under the stewardship of the legendary Joe Royle, Latics enjoyed their heyday and several moments in the sun. often think that Norman Medhurst (his assistant physio with England) and myself are like the civil service who carry on no matter whether the ministers, or in our case the managers change, and we keep on rolling along regardless of who is in charge and that’s the way it should be.” He answered: “It is one of the most important parts of a football club. But I wouldn’t detach it from the other aspects of the game. It is just as important as the tactical, physical and psychological elements of football, but importantly, these all have to function correctly and together.” Graham wanted to stamp his own authority on the club and that was his prerogative,”‘I know you wouldn’t want to be a number two’”.

What I will say is that players haven’t changed. They are still full of fun and I still love the game. Footballers are a lively bunch to be around and there are some stories that didn’t make the book. Special interests: Anaesthesia for spinal surgery, research underpinning educational activities, persistent effects of anaesthetics on the nervous system

However, the Birkenhead club could not afford to hire Ian in a full-time position at the end of the season, so, with the advice of Rovers’ then-manager Bryan Hamilton, Liversedge pursued opportunities elsewhere. In an article in Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal in August 2016, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino was asked: “As a coach how important to you is the medical team?” To the match-going football fan, a team may, on occasion, appear to be just 11 players out on the field and a manager cutting a lonely figure in the technical area. Without giving further thought, an entire club can seemingly be boiled down to these 12 souls. Fred gives a good example of how he had to use his judgement during a game between England and Yugoslavia when Steve Hodge and Glenn Hoddle clashed heads, with manager Bobby Robson trusting his judgement. Now, at the top clubs, the physio is likely to be part of a team of medics and scientists, although there is massive disparity between Premier League clubs and those in the lower divisions, where resources are still stretched.”Lake faxed over a list of breakfast items for an overnight trip before playing Bournemouth, his first away game with the club.

During the final year of Liversedge’s studies at the University of Salford, Ian cut his teeth by helping the club he is currently employed by from the December of 1981 to the summer of the following year. It was whilst speaking to a friend of mine in Tranmere Rovers Physio Ian Liversedge who has seen service at Newcastle United, Oldham Athletic, Burnley, Fleetwood Town and Accrington Stanley, to name some of his former clubs.s manager is the leading edge of a group of staff which frequently consists of assistant managers, coaches, goalkeeping coach, physio and a kit man as well as players and they are expected to build teams – in the pleural – rather than just a team. To recall, Carneiro, and head physiotherapist Jon Fearn, went onto the field to treat the injured Eden Hazard when twice summoned on by referee Michael Oliver. He recounts: “I was just about to wipe the floor with the kitchen staff when I heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the room.