Dick Mackey has been physio at Swindon Town for almost 20 years.

I’m 61 years old I still love a kickaround, but I recently had an arthroscopy and my anterior cruciate was found to be missing (I have advanced osteoarthritis in the same joint). Is there anything I can do to help me recover so I can continue to kick a ball around?
Chris Pilbeam, via e-mail  
If you went to see a doctor he’d probably say pack it in. Playing football would be risky. Running wouldn’t be too good either.

At 61 years old, without cartilage and arthritis, you maybe talking about a knee replacement later down the line, so you’ve got be a bit careful.

I’d recommend swimming or cycling – something a bit more sympathetic to your knees. In your rehab you need to do plenty of work in the pool, cycling, static leg exercises – all of which will strengthen your leg muscles without putting them through a huge range of motion.

First of all you need to get your quads nice and strong and pain free.


Old footballers never die, they just go grey

These days boot companies are forever bringing out new fancy football boots. Do they really help or do you think they can contribute to some of the injuries that are often seen in the modern game?
Rob Burnett, via e-mail 
I don’t like the narrow, slim-line boots because they tend to squeeze people’s heels and players suffer from all sorts of blisters and foot problems.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I don’t like blades either. The players have always liked the adidas Predator boot.

They say the overlaying surfaces help them. Football boots have become fashionable items – ever more colourful and sophisticated.

But I look at the Swindon players’ boot pegs and there is still a great deal of conventional German classic boots.


Football is fashion, darling

My 13-year-old son has come out of plaster six weeks after fracturing his leg just below his knee. What should he be doing to rehabilitate himself to eventually return to football?
Kevin Buckley, via e-mail 
At his age his bones are still relatively soft and it’s easier for children to recover from these sorts of injuries than it is adults, because their bone structures are much more brittle.

He needs to build up the strength in his legs – his quadriceps, hamstrings and his calves. Static cycling is good for this sort of thing.

When you take a plaster off your leg you invariably have a stiff ankle, so swimming would be very good for him.

The pool provides buoyancy, so his leg is not put through too much trauma. I have problems with my toes in every match.

I’ve tried four different pairs of shoes, and new thicker socks, but nothing seems to work. Someone mentioned using a foam type nail-polish remover to freeze my toe during game play. Can you help?
Abe, via e-mail
Nail varnish includes acetone, so I wouldn’t recommend putting it on your feet really. I’d suggest going to the doctor to see if you have any circulatory problems.

I’m sure you’ve already looked at this, but you need to find the right pair of boots. Obviously, they mustn’t be too tight.

Your toes need a bit of air floating round them to keep them warm. You can get thermal socks for playing football in – some of the Swindon players use them.


Look at my toes, look at my toes, the toes, the toes, not around the toes, don't look around my toes, look at my toes, you're under