A Premier League club must appoint at least one crowd doctor for spectators and employ a full-time senior physiotherapist, and every doctor it appoints must be registered and licensed to practise by the General Medical Council.
Required medical roles
Here are the medical roles and qualification requirements a club must have in place.
| Role | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Crowd doctor | At least one, with a recognised pre-hospital care qualification |
| Refresher | A skills update course at least once every five years |
| Senior physiotherapist | Full time, registered with the Health and Care Professions Council |
| Every club doctor | Registered and licensed by the General Medical Council |
Crowd doctor: what qualification is needed
A crowd doctor covers the spectator side of matchday medical provision. The role needs a recognised pre-hospital care qualification.
The accepted routes are: a Diploma in Immediate Medical Care from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh’s Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care, completion of that faculty’s generic crowd doctor training course, or an equivalent of either. The role also carries an ongoing training duty, with the faculty’s generic refresher and skills update course required at least once every five years.
Senior physiotherapist and club doctors
The senior physiotherapist must be employed full time. That person also has to be a registered physiotherapist member of the Health and Care Professions Council and hold a current advanced trauma qualification in football.
The doctor requirement applies across several appointments. A club’s team doctor, crowd doctor, medical coordinator, and any other doctor appointed by the club must each be a registered medical practitioner licensed to practise by the General Medical Council.
How these rules sit with wider legal duties
These medical requirements do not replace or reduce a club’s legal duties in medicine, occupational health, and health and safety.
FAQ
How many crowd doctors must a Premier League club appoint?
Each club must appoint at least one crowd doctor. Any doctor appointed by the club must be registered and licensed to practise by the General Medical Council.
What is a crowd doctor in football?
It is a doctor each club must appoint. The role needs a recognised pre-hospital care qualification and regular refresher training.
Do Premier League clubs have to employ a physiotherapist?
Yes. Each club must employ a full-time senior physiotherapist.
Is GMC registration only for the crowd doctor?
No. The same registration and licence requirement also applies to the team doctor, the medical coordinator, and any other doctor appointed by the club.