Ossett case is plenty to think about

THE COURT ruling that has seen Ossett United ordered to pay £135,000 will have given NonLeague clubs plenty of food for thought about how they approach the issue of player-to-player insurance. The Northern Premier League club say they may have to sell their ground in order to settle the figure, following the decision that a tackle on Radcliffe Borough’s Rees Welsh was “an authorised act, carried out in an unauthorised way”.

On pages 4-5, we have looked at the case, taken the views of the lawyer who won it as well as those of league chairman Mark Harris and one of Ossett’s peers, Witton Albion.

Whether the ruling will spark a wave of cases remains to be seen. It remains true that these incidents are very hard to prove.

But there is no doubting it will leave much of the Non-League game very uncomfortable.

As it stands, the FA don’t have player-to-player insurance as mandatory. Clubs are – or at least should be – aware of what they are covered for and that there is a potential risk of what has happened to Ossett happening to them.

Harris believes clubs don’t have an appetite for that level of cover to be mandatory and the FA say their rules are reflecting what the game wants.

It is only right the authorities reflects on this case, takes the views of clubs and experts and then decides the best course of action.

Will this also put additional pressure on referees? As the sole independent party in these types of cases, a lot will be put on their reports and evidence. It is quite the position to be in.

We must also not forget about Welsh. It can’t have been an easy route to go down and, however you feel about the ruling, he has suffered a major injury that will have affected not only his footballing career, but also his day-to-day life.

The impact of any injury to any player can’t be underestimated.