For the second consecutive year, STOTTS. has provided structured vision screening for players at Burnley Football Club, supporting players across the club’s age groups with assessments designed around the visual demands of football.
The programme is delivered by our clinical team through Mr Jinkinson’s, our independent opticians in Padiham, near Burnley.
During our latest visit, we assessed just under 60 players in a single day, using a dedicated screening system developed by STOTTS. specifically for the programme.
Our work with Burnley FC demonstrates how professional football clubs, academies and sporting organisations can incorporate consistent, clinically led vision screening into their wider player health and development programmes.
More than a standard eyesight check
Traditional eyesight testing is often focused primarily on how clearly someone can see stationary letters at a set distance.
That remains important, but the visual demands placed on a footballer are considerably broader. During training and competition, players continually need to:
- Track a fast-moving ball
- Judge speed, depth and distance
- Maintain awareness of players in their peripheral vision
- Shift focus between different distances
- Coordinate visual information with physical movement
- Process rapidly changing situations
- Make accurate decisions under pressure
Specialist sports vision assessments can consider aspects of vision beyond basic distance clarity, including focusing, eye coordination, peripheral awareness and other visual skills relevant to the athlete’s sport.
Our screening programme is designed to identify players who may benefit from further assessment, advice or visual correction, even when they have not noticed an obvious problem themselves.
A dedicated vision-screening app developed by STOTTS.
To support the Burnley FC screening programme, STOTTS. developed a dedicated digital application that guides our team through each player’s assessment. The system helps us deliver a screening process that is:
- Consistent across different players and age groups
- Relevant to the demands of football
- Efficient enough to deliver at scale
- Clearly documented
- Easy to review and follow up
- Designed to identify players requiring further investigation
Rather than relying on paper forms or a generic screening template, the application gives our clinical team a structured pathway through the assessment. This was particularly important during our latest visit, when almost 60 players needed to be assessed within one extremely busy screening day.
Supporting players across different age groups
STOTTS. provides screening for players across the club’s age bands. Vision can change as young players grow and develop, and a player may adapt to reduced clarity or difficulties with visual coordination without recognising that anything is wrong.
Regular screening provides an opportunity to identify possible issues earlier and recommend an appropriate next step. Depending on the findings, this may include:
- A comprehensive eye examination
- Further assessment of eye coordination
- Prescription eyewear or contact-lens advice
- Protective sports eyewear
- Monitoring of a possible visual issue
- Referral for additional clinical investigation where appropriate
The purpose is not to prescribe unnecessarily. It is to give each player a structured, clinically appropriate assessment and ensure that potential visual concerns are not overlooked.
Why sports clubs should consider player vision screening
Football clubs invest significantly in coaching, conditioning, physiotherapy, nutrition, sports science and player welfare. Vision should form part of that wider picture.
A player may pass a basic sight check while still experiencing difficulties involving focus, binocular coordination, peripheral awareness or visual comfort. A structured screening programme can help clubs:
- Identify players who may require a full eye examination
- Establish a consistent visual-health process across age groups
- Support academy-player development and welfare
- Maintain clear records and follow-up recommendations
- Reduce the likelihood of visual problems going unnoticed
- Provide players and parents with appropriate clinical guidance
The assessments can be adapted according to the sport, age group, number of players and requirements of the organisation.
On-site vision screening for football clubs and academies
The STOTTS. team can deliver organised player screening at a club, academy or training facility, reducing disruption to existing training and development schedules. Our experience with Burnley FC has enabled us to develop a practical model for assessing significant numbers of players while retaining an organised and clinically focused approach.
A screening programme can be created for:
- Professional football clubs
- Football academies
- Women’s and girls’ football programmes
- Semi-professional and grassroots clubs
- Rugby clubs
- Cricket clubs
- Schools and colleges
- Sports development programmes
- Other professional or amateur sporting organisations
The assessment protocol can be tailored to the visual demands of the sport and the objectives of the organisation.
Proud to support Burnley Football Club
We are incredibly proud to have supported Burnley Football Club’s players for the past two years. Our most recent screening day was fast-paced, with just under 60 players assessed, so there was not a great deal of time for photographs or behind-the-scenes content.
What mattered was ensuring that every player moved through a thorough, relevant and consistent screening process. We are grateful to Burnley FC for inviting us back and for trusting STOTTS. with this important aspect of player eyecare.
Arrange sports vision screening for your club
STOTTS. works with sports clubs, academies and player-development programmes to provide structured, clinically led vision screening. We can help your organisation create a screening programme designed around:
- Your sport
- The age and level of your players
- The number of athletes requiring assessment
- Your training schedule
- Your existing player-welfare processes
- Your preferred reporting and follow-up arrangements
Screening can be delivered at your club or training facility, with further examinations and clinical follow-up available through our network of independent practices.
To discuss sports vision screening for your club, academy or organisation, contact the STOTTS. team. Tell us about your club, the number and age range of your players, and what you would like the screening programme to achieve, and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss the most appropriate approach.
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