Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), asserts that there is a “virtual absence” of steroid use by soccer players in the Premier League . The head of the players’ union cites this as one of his reasons behind his objections to the introduction of WADA drug testing to the popular professional soccer league in the United Kingdom. While there are several reasonable objections to increased steroid testing in soccer, the assertion that soccer players do not use anabolic steroids is not one of them (”Home drugs test idea upsets PFA,” November 11).
“If we complain about anything to do with drug-testing people think we might have something to hide, but football’s record is extremely good and there has been a virtual absence of any performance-enhancing drugs over decades.
“We do appreciate that football is a major spectator sport and we wish to co-operate, but football should not be treated in the same way as individual sports that do have a problem with drugs, such as athletics, cycling and weightlifting. (emphasis added)
United Manchester boss Sir Alex Ferguson made defensible objections to the more stringent anti-doping rules based on cost, convenience and privacy. But the PFA’s assertion of drug-free football (soccer) is contradicted by extensive evidence to the contrary (and basic common sense regarding performance enhancing drug use at the elite level).
