This week saw allergies being discussed in the higher eschalons of football punditry. Phrases such as, “He said he was a bit itchy” and “Allergic to grass?” as if having to stop playing for that reason was a bit lame were followed with much laughter. I suppose to people who’ve never suffered an allergic attack nor seen someone else with one, it does sound quite funny. It also shows a lack of sympathy and understanding. People who don’t understand the implications and how debilitating they can be, tend to think that those with allergies are really just being a bit pathetic and should get on with things without complaining.
Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli had to stop playing during a match this week against Dinamo Kiev when his face swelled up and he suffered an apparent allergic reaction. At the time his manager didn’t know what caused the problem and witness reports state he was rubbing his face, but determined to not let his team down and not be defeated he soldiered on. Eventually he was substituted after 57 minutes and treated with anti-histamines, but by this time his face was so swollen it didn’t have a huge effect. It seems from these reports that he has not had any allergic attacks before this one and was not aware he might have a problem.
Anyone who has had a real and sudden allergy to anything will know that the physical sypmptoms are by no means the only effects you experience. He will have been incredibly itchy, and the itch is so all consuming that concentration is effected, making focusing on the strategies of winning a football game a big challenge.
As excuses for getting out of playing football go, being allergic to the actual pitch ranks up there with the best and does sound perhaps a little far fetched. A footballer with a grass allergy is going to have a challenge on their hands as most football matches take place on grass; could it signal the end of their career? The most common advice for allergy sufferers is to avoid the allergen – a footballer can’t really play football and avoid grass so Bartolli has a challenge on his hands now to find a way of going on. The advice to ‘just avoid’ is often very unhelpful. When you have hayfever you can’t avoid it, not entirely, unless you stay inside in a sealed environment for the whole season. Not practical or advisable. The advice should be to find ways of desensitising and/or living with the allergy. He will need to find out which types of grass he is allergic to, if in fact the allergy was caused by grass.
He’s not the only sportsperson to have an unfortunate allergy
Balotelli is not the only footballer allergic to grass, Yoan Gouffran, a 24-year-old midfielder for Girondins de Bordeaux in France is also suffering with the same affliction. He is working with an allergy specialist to combat this allergy and hopes to continue playing. It’s a bit unfortunate really – like a tennis player being allergic to the rubber in the tennis balls, or a swimmer allergic to chlorine. This latter actually happened to Olympic swimmer Ian Thorpe who was allergic the chlorine in the pools he trained in; he was initially sidelined as a child but has gone on to completely overcome his allergy and win many olympic medals.
Eccentric British golfer Ian Poulter was also recently diagnosed with an allergy to all types of grass except one. He was diagnosed after complaining of having an itchy back during matches. He tries to see the funny side with a recent tweet which said: “Off to the allergy clinic again this morning for full tests, i know im allergic to bogeys & doubles but need to check for the rest.” [sic].
Was this reaction really caused by grass?
I had always thought that grass allergy was linked to hayfever which would come on only during the spring and summer season when grass pollen becomes airborne. Am I wrong there? Does anyone know? This match was played in cold temperatures so could the allergy have been from something else altogether? Something else Bartolli came into contact with perhaps? or something he ate?
What do you think? Is he allergic to grass? or something else? and how might a footballer go about pursuing his career if he did have a grass allergy? Great to hear allergies in the news, but not so great for Balotelli.
I remember a every year at aschool in the summer when the groundsmen were doing their pre for the upcoming cricket season. I woudl wussendly develop allergy type symtomes to a dergree that i was no longer functionable. I assumed i had developed hayfeaver or the sort.
Anyway to cut a long story short, it ended up being the type of chemical that they had been using for god only knows what that had been creating my condition. Groundskeepers use a huge amount of very industrial and dangerous chemicals to keep their grouns in check and up you spec to be checked by the year every 3/4 times a year. It’s a long shot but it might br worth thinking about, if not for h im, then other people.
Hey you really could be onto something there. I bet football pitches are treated with all sorts to help them sustain the onslaught of rampaging footballers so if they do use chemicals it would certainly be something people should look into. I guess that means a job as a groundsman is out for you then, unless you insisted on using only natural fertilisers.
Yar plus in my case we were talking rugby pitches beaing treated for the cricket season. So probably more harsh chemiscals than less.