THE POSITIVE PROFESSOR
SOCIAL media’s voice of calm Karol Sikora has been signed up by the Daily Express. Readers can now enjoy his soothing advice in these troubled times that have won him hundreds of thousands of followers on Twitter. If you need reassuring everything’s going to be all right read Professor Positivity.
MY career in medicine has taken me to some strange places. One of the more unusual was being the match doctor for an FA Cup game of football for Yeading FC as they were called then.
A friend who was team secretary asked me if I could step in to help. The rules required them to have a club doctor. They had a very pleasant pitch near Heathrow.
During the match one of the opposition players went down in agony after a gash and the doctor was called for. Their team doctor was nowhere to be found.
It was my big moment. I ran out under the glare of the floodlights and we stretchered the player to the changing room. He had a gash on his knee that looked fine to me, but his team’s doctor arrived and called an emergency ambulance.
The other doctor promptly made his way back to the bar leaving me to deal with a couple of irate paramedics. The player didn’t even need stitches and I got a serious telling off for wasting their time.
I’ve seen a lot of tweets and messages from fans who are desperate to get back into the grounds to support their clubs.
Sitting in the fresh air, watching a game of football in my view is a very low risk activity. I understand the problems surrounding it, but for the smaller clubs especially I’m sure some of those risks can be mitigated if everyone is sensible.
I’ve seen small pilot projects are under way and that’s great, I hope they go well.
Of course it isn’t just football fans. Millions of sports fans across the country should be able to support their team in person, especially if it’s an outdoor event.
I can go to a busy pub or shopping centre, but not to support my local football club outdoors.
Hopefully we can get fans back in the stadiums soon, although I’m sure many will come to regret it when their team keeps losing.