Altrincham Women’s assistant coach, Duncan Jones, has coughed up thousands of pounds of his own money for three of his players to get private treatment after they all suffered anterior cruciate ligament injuries.
The Division One South side have been hit with a slew of ACL injuries, which can keep a player sidelined for at least 12 months.
It’s become a concerning trend with 25 players in the elite women’s game affected by the injury in the last year.
Jones said: “ACL injuries are rife in the women’s game. Three players of my own have been struck with the injury.”
Women are six times more likely to suffer an ACL injury than men and it has been described by sports scientists as an ‘epidemic’. With NHS waiting lists at an all time high, Jones took to the decision to fund private treatment:
“The NHS projected date for the surgery is over a year away. This left no alternative but to pursue getting the operation privately. The costs are between £9000-£10,000.”
In the lower echelons of the game, where the funds aren’t available to get instant treatment, the rebound from injury becomes even harder.
One of the injured, midfielder Mary Nutter, snapped her ACL and tore her MCL (medial colloidal ligament) playing Preston North End in the FA Cup.
Jones said: “I have coached Mary since she was nine where we consistently won every trophy that you can win. She was our captain all through the Juniors and this year moved straight into the woman’s first team at the age of 16.”
He has personally raised over £12,000 for private surgery for his players and now he’s turned to GoFundMe and fans’ generosity to help with the costs.
So far £4680 has been raised with the target set at £9000. Jones believes the NHS should contribute:
“If the NHS cannot do it within a reasonable time, they should at least contribute something to those who go private. If the NHS calculated the cost of the procedure to them and offered 30% of that to those who want to go private, it would cost the NHS less and get the waiting lists down.”
You can donate to Mary Nutter’s surgery here