The head of PFA Scotland has called for a review of medical facilities at all professional football matches after a female player was forced to wait three hours for an ambulance during a match on Sunday.
Courtney Stewart was just 10 minutes into Partick Thistle’s SWPL1 match against Rangers when she collided with Laura Rafferty and suffered a serious head injury.
Although she was quickly treated by Rangers medical staff and St Andrew’s First Aid volunteers, she still had to wait three hours before she could finally be taken to hospital.
The Scottish Ambulance Service has since apologised for the delay, saying it was due to ‘pressure on services’ and ‘long turnaround times at hospitals’. However, PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart told Mail Sport that this was a wider issue across the sport, as there are currently no requirements for ambulances to be present at men’s or women’s matches.
“It is a wider issue that spans the whole of sport and needs to be addressed: there needs to be an ambulance ready for professional footballers who are injured at work,” Wishart said.
‘I think it’s something that the SPFL and the SWPL need to look at – mandatory provision for this kind of medical care for players. There’s also the issue of equality, treating players exactly the same. That’s something that needs to be looked at as well.
Thistle midfielder Courtney Stewart is carried off the pitch on a stretcher before a long wait
Stewart and Rangers defender Laura Rafferty are treated by medics on the pitch
PFA Scotland Chief Executive Fraser Wishart has called on the SPFL and SWFL to take action
‘For example, at every Premiership game you’ll probably have an ambulance. We’re trying to improve the standards of the women’s game and get it up to par with the men’s game, so there should be ambulances there.
“If the clubs are doing it for their men’s teams, they should be doing it for their women’s teams. They are employees, just like everyone else.
“Our fight has always been, and will always be, that female players are given the same opportunities as the men. Whether it’s in the rules or not, it should be in the women’s game. If you want to look after your professional players in the men’s game, you have to look after them in the women’s game.”
As it stands, there is no requirement within the SPFL or SWPL rules for ambulances to be present at matches. While many clubs choose to pay to facilitate private ambulance services and paramedics, others find the cost prohibitive.
People with larger groups are expected to use ambulances as a matter of course, with the safety of the group being a major consideration. This is all taken into account in the safety advisory groups and in the case of municipal land, the local authority will also be involved in some of the decision-making.
As with many SPFL grounds, Broadwood is not legally required to have an ambulance on site
Clubs such as Elgin City, for example, will look at their attendance needs before determining what level of provision is required. Ambulances are not regularly booked. Instead, a doctor and paramedic may be present. Should a player sustain a serious injury, a call will be made to the emergency services.
According to a source within the women’s football, the cost of hiring an ambulance can be as much as £1,000 per game, which has a huge impact on other aspects of the club’s sustainability.
Robert Watson, manager of women’s team Hamilton Accies, told Mail Sport that the problem lies in affordability for players at the bottom of the table.
He said: ‘I think the league and the clubs need to work together to eventually find a way to have an ambulance or paramedic available at every game. The problem is funding.’
Partick Thistle women’s team manager Brian Graham expressed his disgust at the delay
“There’s a huge difference between the clubs that aren’t full-time and the clubs that are. That’s the problem. It’s important that we find a way to make sure that players are protected in everyone’s budget.”
This is particularly relevant when it comes to head injuries. Luke Griggs, director of brain injury charity Headway, adds: ‘Any head injury should be taken seriously, as even seemingly minor blows to the head can have serious and delayed consequences.
‘I imagine the concern of Courtney’s teammates, along with the medical team and first aiders at St Andrew’s who provided initial aid, was growing.’
The Scottish Ambulance Service, meanwhile, ‘wished to apologise for the delay’ and ‘for any inconvenience caused to the patient’. A spokesman said: ‘Unfortunately, at the time of the call, our services were under pressure due to high demand and long hospital turnaround times. A clinical advisor has been in regular contact with the patient and we hope she makes a good recovery.’