Jim Goodwin was involved in a horror collision when Scunthorpe United met Bristol City – and such incidents are why the St Mirren manager feels so strongly about the latest concussion news.
The SFA have announced their plans to trial emergency substitutes for head injuries in the Scottish Cup “at the earliest possible opportunity”. Concern over the long-term effects of head injuries in football has become a hot topic.
But they haven’t always been taken as seriously. Known for being a no-nonsense player, Goodwin needed a titanium plate to correct his cracked cranium after a clash of heads with Liam Fontaine when Scunthorpe met Bristol City during his playing days.
It was a sickening collision, but somehow, Goodwin managed to play on for 33 minutes before the effects of a fractured skull took hold. The Buddies boss has recalled the unbelievably frightening tale.
Welcoming the introduction of concussion subs, the St Mirren manager said: “I think it’s a great idea. It’s something that other sports have been doing for a long time, such as the NFL and rugby.
“Football is normally slow to catch on. Other sports have been using the likes of VAR long before we caught on but I think it’s a step in the right direction. The powers that be deserve credit as this is a really important step.
“I’ve headed the ball far too many times myself and I’ve had numerous concussions and clashes of heads. I remember back to my debut for Scunthorpe a number of years ago now. I fractured my skull in the 12th minute and played on until half-time knowing that there was something seriously wrong with me.
“I didn’t want to come off the park and it wasn’t until half-time that I started being sick and had blood actually coming from my nose that the doctor and the physio made the decision to bring me off.
“So I think this is a very important decision from the authorities and one I’d certainly welcome. I don’t blame the medical team at the time as they were very good. It was a clash of heads with Liam Fontaine, who was playing for Bristol City.
“We clashed heads, which happens all the time. I did have big bump but there was no cut, so there was no real obvious fracture there which was identifiable to the physio. I did know at half-time that once the blood started coming from the front of my head, through the front of my skull and out of my nose that something serious had happened.
“I went for an X-ray then an operation, so I now have a metal plate at the front of my head. I used to laugh about the fact that Petr Cech did his head playing for Chelsea about six weeks after I did mine.
“He’s got a three-inch scar on the side of his head because he’s obviously got the money to go private, whereas, when I shave my head, I’ve got a scar that runs from one side right over the top to the other side.”
These substitutes will allow teams to make changes for head injuries, even if all remaining substitutions have been made. Goodwin says work has to be done to avoid long-term impacts on players.
“I can think back to a game when I was Alloa boss,” explained Goodwin. “Andy Graham was my centre-half and the big man fell out with me for about a month because I took him off after a head knock. He didn’t look right so I dragged him off.
“He wanted to play on but as managers you’ve got to take responsibility and make those difficult decisions, even if they are key players. It’s about protecting their long-term future, not even just the here and now.
“As a manager I’m happy to make those decisions to protect my players. We’re now too far on in terms of medical science to be taking any risks with player welfare. I know back in the day, it was considered brave to carry on with these things but I don’t want to be taking risks with any of my players.”
NTOF now offers a YouTube channel featuring exclusive interviews, post-match discussion, in-depth debate, and much more – LIKE and SUBSCRIBE and don’t miss any of our videos.