Gary Owers

[westyorkshiregull]

Wonder if the new physio will be from the Bristol and avon area.
Must toe the line in accordance with gaming international employee handbook for employees

[Southampton Gull]

Definitely doesn't want to be someone trying to improve their qualifications that's for sure.

[budegull1954]

I find this story about Gareth Law one of the saddest aspects of a dreadful season, if what we are hearing is true. An excellent medical officer by all accounts and certainly 'one of us' as I think he played a couple of games for the Gulls in the past if I'm not mistaken. He was responsible for facilitating Luke Young's full recovery in season 2015-16 when he suffered a serious injury before the season started. Young was then able to play the last few games of the season and help to pull off Great Escape no.1. Luke Young in fact dedicated his recovery to Gareth Law when he scored one of the Great Escape goals. I do hope the club manages to find an equally capable person to replace him - and just as importantly one who can work with Owers, Kuhl, Hedges and Harrop.

[westyorkshiregull]

Yes he did play for us and remember him in my championship manager game around 2001 ish.
Didn't really make it at the professional level in any remarkable way but really surperb he managed to knuckle down and keep within the game in this profession.
Best of luck to him and hope he moves on and actually makes it at a higher grade in his profession.

[MellowYellow]

I would like to know the real reason for Gareth Law release. The front page story is about time-off for University but there must be a greater underlying reason for his services no longer to be required. Gareth has been with the club since 2007 the last 4 years as Head of Sports Medicine. That is a lot of knowledge to just pass up for allocation of couple of University weeks.

Did Owers feel he was pampering to the players complaints about injuries and they did not see eye to eye on the workings of the treatment table. Owers and Kuhl are old school and will believe they can see from 20 paces when a player is feigning injury or milking it, particularly when a good old Cortisone injection will do the trick .

For my two-penny worth and I am no medic, I believe the players poor displays this season were down primarily to 'Insomnia'. They suffered from tiredness and fatigue pre-match as they could not sleep for 'Owers'

[Dave]

What a difference a day makes, 24 Gary Owers

I'd prefer Zero Owers

I wondered if, anyone would react to my little piss take

[brucie]

We don't actually know the reason for Laws departure. It could be anything - perhaps Law was too friendly with the players or Nicholson. We just don't know.

[tufcyellowarmy]

I would like to know the real reason for Gareth Law release. The front page story is about time-off for University but there must be a greater underlying reason for his services no longer to be required. Gareth has been with the club since 2007 the last 4 years as Head of Sports Medicine. That is a lot of knowledge to just pass up for allocation of couple of University weeks.

Did Owers feel he was pampering to the players complaints about injuries and they did not see eye to eye on the workings of the treatment table. Owers and Kuhl are old school and will believe they can see from 20 paces when a player is feigning injury or milking it, particularly when a good old Cortisone injection will do the trick .

For my two-penny worth and I am no medic, I believe the players poor displays this season were down primarily to 'Insomnia'. They suffered from tiredness and fatigue pre-match as they could not sleep for 'Owers'

quote]

Kind of with you on this supposition. I’ve played a few years in lower leagues and had my fair share of injuries so know the pressure from managers etc.
But ultimately it seems the player decides whether he is “fit” and most players will play even if borderline fit rather than bottle it.
There are so many other factors of course but if the manager is an absolute plank and has the leadership charisma of a mollusc then I guess the treatment table is more appealing than risking your career than seeking unlikely short term glory.

[merse btpir]

perhaps Law was too friendly with the players or Nicholson. We just don't know.

In my experience this is more than likely.....

Managers can be quite paranoid due to job insecurity and need to have a bond of absolute trust in their head of medical/physio dept and feel that if there is a conflict of interest then 'their' man will not become the players' man. Conversely the players need to feel a bond of trust too and need to feel the head of medical/physio act in their interests and not that of the manager.

For that reason there is nearly always a demand by any new manager coming in to have his own man/men or women on his staff.

I could well imagine that given the obviously previous lax attitude towards players being fit for purpose when being signed and then (possibly) ambivalence being shown towards their reluctance to put themselves on the line like the habitual Gowling and Clarkes of this club; that the manager has lost confidence in Gareth Laws and was (again possibly) just waiting for him to sign his own despatch note which he duly did when making that request for leave of absence from what is a very 'skinny' department of the club indeed.

Then on the other hand if his contract is up then his contract is up and there is no obligation on the part of the club to give him another one; especially if the manager feels that he needs to change

[Teigngull]

In my experience this is more than likely.....

Managers can be quite paranoid due to job insecurity and need to have a bond of absolute trust in their head of medical/physio dept and feel that if there is a conflict of interest then 'their' man will not become the players' man. Conversely the players need to feel a bond of trust too and need to feel the head of medical/physio act in their interests and not that of the manager.

For that reason there is nearly always a demand by any new manager coming in to have his own man/men or women on his staff.

I could well imagine that given the obviously previous lax attitude towards players being fit for purpose when being signed and then (possibly) ambivalence being shown towards their reluctance to put themselves on the line like the habitual Gowling and Clarkes of this club; that the manager has lost confidence in Gareth Laws and was (again possibly) just waiting for him to sign his own despatch note which he duly did when making that request for leave of absence from what is a very 'skinny' department of the club indeed.

Then on the other hand if his contract is up then his contract is up and there is no obligation on the part of the club to give him another one; especially if the manager feels that he needs to change

Careful Merse, you know this is an itch that others won't be able to stop scratching .
There again familiarity can breed contempt, now where 's that anti-histamine cream!

[Rjc70]

That we now are straying into this being inadvertently “Nicholson’s fault” is concerning. Isn’t that chapter due for closing yet?

[Southampton Gull]

Conveniently forgetting that it was Harrop who signed and agreed contract details. Merse and Little Merse Wannabe can't resist slinging mud in their haste to defend Owers, as if anything he's done during his reign is defensible.

[merse btpir]

Different managers prefer different physios.....

I know of one who was given the post of First Team physio primarily for the fact that he would be the only one of the frontline (& therefore technical area) management team that spoke fluent English.....twelve months later (as part of a different management team) he was replaced because he was the only one who didn't speak Italian!

He hasn't worked in the professional football game again ~ his choice after previous personal ill-feeling over the ending of his playing career ~ but as long as the club has one, that is all important. Employees are just that; they are transitory, move on and get replaced. This is the insecure industry that is football ~ get over it.

[Southampton Gull]

Most clubs would be happy that their backroom staff were looking to gain further qualifications. That seemingly isn't the case at our club.

Not sure what your post has to do with the way our club has treated our physio, I don't think speaking Italian was the problem............

[MF68]

Dave

As you know there is more to this than is being said on here.
Gareth has been treated disgracefully and to advertise his job behind his back is deplorable.