FA warns clubs over internal testing

The Football Association is to warn clubs not to carry out their own drugs tests after it was revealed that a young Premiership striker was caught with traces of cocaine in his system following an internal club examination.

The Football Association is to warn clubs not to carry out their own drugs tests after it was revealed that a young Premiership striker was caught with traces of cocaine in his system following an internal club examination.

Administrators are worried that such internal tests clash with the official UK Sport random tests. And while the Premiership club only discovered the problem by accident during a routine check on their playing staff, the FA wants to stop the practice, believing that only UK Sport's recognised testers should be carrying out investigations, to make sure that any offenders are properly punished.

The FA is also aware that if a player gets away with merely a club fine or disciplinary action, it makes the stiff punishment given to the Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, who was banned for eight months, look unfair.

The unnamed player was fined the maximum two weeks' wages and will not play again this season while further tests are carried out.