I played for half an hour with fractured skull but I’ll never take risks with my own players
Jim’s glad SFA are using heads
IT wasn’t until he had blood streaming out his nose that Jim Goodwin finally accepted something was wrong.
The St Mirren boss suffered a fractured skull in 2006 in a season opener between Scunthorpe and Bristol City after clashing heads with Liam Fontaine.
Despite sustaining the injury in the sickening collision with the now-Dundee defender in just the 12th minute, the strongwilled Irishman battled through to half-time.
But when the tough centrehalf was sick in the dressing room and the blood started pouring, he admitted defeat as his game was up and he later required surgery to fit a metal plate in the front of his skull.
And that is why the Buddies manager is so glad to see the SFA looking to implement a concussion substitute trial in the Scottish Cup to protect players from head injuries.
Goodwin said: “This is an important step. I had numerous concussions and clashes of heads as a player.
“I remember at Scunthorpe I fractured my skull in the 12th minute of the first game of the season and I played on until half-time. I knew there was something seriously wrong but didn’t want to come off.
“It was only at half-time when I was sick and had blood coming out of my nose the physio and doctor made the decision to bring me off.
“I don’t blame the medical team, it was just a clash of heads. There was no blood or anything at the time, I just had a big bump on my head.
“It was actually with Liam Fontaine who still plays up here. There was no obvious fracture but I knew at half-time something serious had happened.
“I had to have an operation and I now have a metal plate in the front of my head.
“We have come too far in medical science to take any risks with players.”
Back on the pitch Goodwin is hoping his shock troops can follow up their huge League Cup win over Rangers by extending their 10-match unbeaten run against St Johnstone today.
A win could push the Buddies up to seventh and Goodwin said: “We will have enough in the tank against St Johnstone. The incentive is there to get into the middle of the table.”