Alfie Mawson And Head Trauma

[Russ Goldman]

Good Morning Everyone.

On our latest episode of Cottage Talk along with talking about the match, we had a serious discussion about Alfie Mawson being down on the pitch after colliding with Sergio Rico.

This was very scary to watch as he might have suffered a concussion but we don't know. He was down for awhile and the medical team came out right away as Sergio Rico alerted them right away.

He went off and came right back on and I was surprised by this because of the severity of the collision. Here is an excerpt from Scott Trotter's article talking about it.

https://www.football.london/fulham-fc/mawsons-frustration-parkers-half-time-15588661

For all the club's struggles there is no doubt Alfie Mawson wants to play for Fulham. He obviously always shows commitment to go for the ball but after one headed clearance the former Swansea defender was cleared out by Sergio Rico's attempted punch. The defender lay flat on the floor as Fulham's keeper immediately urged medical staff onto the pitch.

It took a little while for Mawson to sit up and then get back to his feet, surely slightly groggy but it certainly did not look like the 25-year-old wanted to leave the field for Newcastle's corner. He looked very unhappy as he walked off the pitch and gestured to the corner, before returning to the pitch as soon as the whistle went.

While his commitment is a positive, it was surprising to see him return to the field so quickly. Perhaps he was tested while grounded but it felt like more rigorous concussion tests would be in place for what seemed like it could be quite serious at one stage. He may have been o.k. but it was a slight reminder that the league might not take head injuries as seriously as you would expect.

I personally don't think Mawson should have been alllowed back on unless he passed extenstive concussion tests. I am a Fulham supporter and I know the importance of the moment of the match and what he brings, but he should have been replaced right away to protect him.

I don't think there is enough attention being put on the severity of head trauma in football and I am curious how you feel about this. I feel there needs to be new rules in place by the FA that protects the players from themselves. I feel there should be an independent doctor at all matches evaluating all situations of head trauma. The person comes first. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Good morning,
I have to agree with you, who would not, you make some very good points.
When you receive a blow to the head or face in that way, which causes you to be concussed, as we know, the brain inside the skull moves like a jelly against the inside walls, and it is surprising the amount of brain cells that can be destroyed in one trauma.
That is why immediate attention is necessary, and carried out by a qualified person.
In the good old days, it was the magic sponge that cured all ills.
But due to the advance of medical science it is a well known fact that the long term effect as well as short term can have its repercussions.
It can of course cause swelling to the brain also, and that is why it should be monitored.
What it does show also is, that Alfie Mawson is a Warrior and a Fighter, and we could do with more players like him, Calum Chambers is another, along with Kevin Mcdonald and Denis Odoi and Mitro, and Cyrus Christie, not forgeting AK 47 and Tim Ream, and I am sure there are others given the chance.
It's in adversity that you find out which players who will run through a brick wall and come out fighting on the other side. That's why I strongly feel that Alfie Mawson should be Captain, he has those leadership qualities and the character that is required to be the Team Captain more than any other player on the books.
That is why I am confident we shall stay up.
Nonetheless, I am glad you brought this subject up, because it can be a serious issue when the skull receives a trauma of that kind. It can effect the intricate workings of the nerves and tissues of the brain. The brain is an organ which is the centre of the nervous system, and the eye is the quickest muscle in the body.

[Beamer]

Why not introduce the same system as rugby where the player would automatically be taken off for an assessment with a sub allowed  on temporary basis until he is declared fit to return.
From personal experience you simply cannot afford to take these things lightly, I had never heard of post concussion syndrome until a couple of years ago when my d-in-law suffered what looked to be a minor head trauma and 2 years later is still only about 70% recovered.
Players don't want to come off but they are not the people to be making that decision.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Also I forgot to mention, that symptoms to watch out for after sustaining a head injury is,
Disorientation, inability to focus the eyes, nausea, ringing in the ears, light headedness, spinning sensation, loss of muscle control, persistent headache, leaking of fluid from ears or nose, memory loss, seizures, vomiting balance or coordination problems, to name but a few.

[filham]

Fully agree with all of the above of course but from the picture in the telegraph of the incident it looked as if Rico's clenched fist landed smack on Mawson's jaw.

[Statto]

Fully agree with all of the above of course but from the picture in the telegraph of the incident it looked as if Rico's clenched fist landed smack on Mawson's jaw.

My thoughts also.
Of course sometimes a whack on the jaw can spin your head and rattle your brain, but not necessarily.
Just because he stayed Down for a while, I wouldn't infer from that he was unconscious or groggy.
Actually, the fact he was allowed to play on implies the opposite.

[Brawn]

As with cricket, I reckon it will probably take, sadly, the death of a player for this to become a major issue. When Philip Hughes died from a cricket ball to the back of the neck in 2014, cricket has brought in a lot of new concussion tests and regulations - in England, for example (international matches aside), you are not allowed to bat without a helmet at all now, and moreover this has to be the latest specification.

I'm surprised Mawson was allowed to continue unless proper concussion tests were done - I was also surprised to see only 3 minutes added on at the end of the first half (although I have to confess when I watched the game back this morning I was only half-interested given the snoozefest it was).

As an aside, this surely came from a lack of communication between Rico and Mawson. Rico is a very good goalkeeper but I have to say that its arguable it wouldn't have happened under Bettinelli.

[Statto]

its arguable it wouldn't have happened under Bettinelli.

Neither would the clean sheet

[HillingdonFFC]

Worst one I ever saw was up at Gresty Road during the Tigana promotion season.
Crewe player had a sickening clash of heads with Rufus? right in front of where we sitting down the side. The noise was bloody horrible, he just started walking off on all fours like a baby, he was completely out of it , he then began throwing up. Quite disturbing to watch to be honest

[Russ Goldman]

Fully agree with all of the above of course but from the picture in the telegraph of the incident it looked as if Rico's clenched fist landed smack on Mawson's jaw.

Thank you for your response. I watched this several times back as I have access to a replay of the match and the initial contact looks like the jaw  to the side of the head, but he lands awkwardly which involves his head. The medical team goes right out there and are attending to him and we don't know what kind of tests they did. I will say he was down for a few minutes and his eyes were closed for a portion of it that did concern me a great deal. My reason to post this is that I feel in this situation going right back in worried me and more testing should have been done to make sure he did not have a concussion. I would rather be safe than sorry with his health.

My thoughts also.
Of course sometimes a whack on the jaw can spin your head and rattle your brain, but not necessarily.
Just because he stayed Down for a while, I wouldn't infer from that he was unconscious or groggy.
Actually, the fact he was allowed to play on implies the opposite.

[The Rational Fan]

If a cricket player in Sydney, Australia (since Phil Hughes death in Sydney) had that kind of head trauma, he would not be allowed to play for competitively for 6 weeks. If you watch Rico's face, he was scared for Mawson and i am sure Rico has seen a lot so not easily scared.

[Woolly Mammoth]

Merry Christmas to every Fulham Supporter ⚽️🎄🍺