IS IT me or is there something going on at the moment to make local soccer more dangerous than it's ever been?

In all the seasons I've been producing this column for the Bolton Evening News, I can't remember such a short period of time where we have seen so many serious injuries to local players.

Just two months into the season, or thereabouts, and already we have a lengthy list to cause concern.

Paul Warburton (Tempest United), Neil Kernick (Turton), Barry Butler (Altrincham), John Ryder (Summerseat) - broken legs.

Barry Kaye (Bolton Wyresdale Vets) - broken ankle.

Carl Granham (Tottington United) - broken arm.

Martin Henegan (Atherton Town) - badly torn knee ligaments. Danny Donachie (Radcliffe Boro) - dislocated ankle.

Nicky Bond (Tottington United) - broken ribs.

And then just two weeks ago Atherton Colls Steve Coffey, suffers a dislocated hip from landing badly and is told at the hospital that another hour's delay in getting him onto the operating table and he could have lost his leg.

Has our local scene become more competitive to cause lads to dive into tackles, thereby risking, receiving or inflicting serious injury? No, I can't really accept that.

Our local soccer has always been incredibly hard and competitive - but fair.

The recent changes in the playing rules have been aimed, admittedly, at reducing the likelihood of this, certainly, not increasing it.

I wonder if the increase has anything to do with two successive years of untypically dry English weather?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.