Talking Sport: Football should adopt rugby’s blood bin rule

But they have missed a trick by ignoring one of the most blatant needs which other sports have sorted - the blood bin.

Hull City’s defeat by Burnley bordered on farce when City were obliged to face a corner without their key defender Michael Dawson, who had to go off to change his shirt after getting a bloody nose.

He was struggling to get his fresh jersey on when Burnley scored, almost certainly from the area Dawson would have been covering. It might have been a goal anyway but the fact a team had to play a man short at a crucial time was ridiculous and the outcome could send Hull down.

In both forms of rugby a substitute would have been allowed on while the shirt was changed and the blood treated.

In cricket, injured fielders are allowed a substitute and a batsman goes off for treatment with someone taking his place. Certainly the bowler isn’t allowed a free delivery at an undefended wicket. Even boxing is stopped for blood to be treated, so why is football the odd one out?

You could argue football is encouraging foul play. An ‘accidental’ elbow puts a bloke off the field for a few minutes giving the opposition a chance, so bring in the blood bin.

Players often rip off their jerseys after scoring and struggle to get them back on, meanwhile the ref holds play up. If that happens the man should have to stop on the touchline until he’s correctly attired and play goes on. They’d soon learn to dress themselves without their mothers.

Burnley’s goal didn’t keep them in the Premiership, a pity because they’ve spent a fraction of what other clubs have splashed out and their manager Sean Dyche seems a likeable bloke, although with his voice you wouldn’t want him leading the singing.

Queue Pee Are were also relegated after giving up at Man City and losing six-nowt. Judging by remarks by senior players about team mates not trying, this weeks’ training sessions will have been interesting.

It seems incredible that when Rangers were in the Championship last season, their wage bill was higher than that of Atletico Madrid, who won the Spanish title. We’re crackers in this country.

You might not have noticed because there’s been no fuss but rugby league’s famous knock-out competition, the Challenge Cup, gets serious this weekend with the big guns coming in. It’s a shame the cup appears more an embarrassment these days because it has provided many wonderful memories.

Dewsbury entertain Warrington on Friday night and could have a chance, depending which Warrington team turns up - the one that thumps Leeds regularly or the lot that lose to everybody else.

On Sunday Batley go to Widnes, where nobody seems to enjoy playing because of the strange surface. Let’s hope there’s no blood.