A dose of flu was quickly cleared by Handy Andy
There have been amazing strides in science that helps footballers be fitter than ever before.
Treatment for injuries is quite amazing but not even the finest medical brains can keep players completely free from coughs and colds.
West Ham manager Slaven Bilic was hospitalised last month after a dose of flu swept through the club.
Former goalkeeper Andy Donnelly is able to sympathise with those struck down by illness.
He was one of the Torquay United players hit by flu at the end of February, 1969.
The Scot was pictured in bed at home when his club’s Third Division match against Southport was postponed by the Football League.
But, as he recalls, the bug was never going to keep him sidelined for long.
Andy had waited for nearly 10 years to get a taste of first-team action in league football and he was relishing his time with the Gulls.
He recalled: “We only had five fit players left when the flu ripped through our squad.
“I don’t suppose it would be as widespread now with everyone getting flu injections.
“But it didn’t keep us down for long. We were going really well under manager Frank O’Farrell and everyone was desperate to get back playing.”
The supporters had voted “Handy Andy”
as their Player of the Year and he was delighted to be the club’s first-choice goalie.
He went on: “Ten years earlier I’d played a trial game for Celtic but nothing came for it.
“I was then playing junior football at Coltness United, where Tommy Gemmell was one of my team-mates.
“Clyde were a First Division side when they signed me but I only played one match for them.
“They had a really consistent keeper in Tommy McCulloch and I couldn’t displace him.
“I then joined Millwall, but again I only managed one game because they had Alex Stepney in goal at the time.
“Ron Gray was the manager but he left just after I signed and was replaced by Billy Gray.
“That was something of a recurring theme for me. A new manager would arrive at a club and then kick me out.”
Andy had to take a step back before moving forward.
He explained: “I knew I had something to offer and just kept trying harder.
“I’m only 5ft 9in, so I knew I had to do something special. These days they wouldn’t look at a keeper under six foot.
“I was recommended to Frank O’Farrell, who had started his managerial career at non-league Weymouth.
“We won the Southern League and then Frank took me to Torquay United.
“It was a great time for the club. We won promotion and had players like John Bond and Ken Brown.
“I had four good seasons there. Frank left to take over at Leicester and Allan Brown replaced him as manager.”
Andy then moved to South Africa where he won many honours with Cape Town City.
Team-mates included internationals such as Willie Hunter, Ian St John and Geoff Hurst.
He spent 15 years in the country and also played for East London and Hellenic.
Now 73, and living in Sussex, Andy is delighted to look back on an eventful career.
He said: “I once bumped into Tommy Gemmill and Celtic manager Jock Stein at Hamilton Races. I told Jock he could have had me because I’d played a trial when he was in charge of the reserves.
“He said: ‘Aye, well you couldn’t have shown too much’.”