It’s crunch time in football as the end of the season is fast approaching, with teams battling it out to either get promoted up the football pyramid or stave off a dreaded relegation. 

But one football manager is urging fans to utilise free blood pressure checks at community pharmacies to check their nail-biting stress isn’t reaching “dangerous levels” that can cause further health conditions. 

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Mansfield Town’s manager Nigel Clough visited Orchard Pharmacy with Mansfield season ticket holder Shelley Mercer to get their blood pressure checked. 

With Mansfield teetering on the edge of relegation from League One, Clough said “I’d really encourage Stags fans – in fact all football and non-football fans – to get their blood pressure checked regularly”. 

He added: “Being able to walk into your local high street pharmacy to have it done, often without even needing an appointment, means it’s also very convenient. 

Read more: 'Euros anxiety’ leads to 209% magnesium sales spike 

“Medical emergencies at football matches are, sadly, becoming all too common. By having your blood pressure checked you can detect underlying blood pressure issues you may have, and this can literally be the difference between life and death.” 

His callout comes during Stress Awareness Month that aims to raise awareness about the causes and cures of stress. 

And a 2020 Oxford University study found that football fans were “more at risk of experiencing dangerous levels of the ‘fight or flight’ hormone cortisol, commonly associated with stress”. 

Read more: Scottish pharmacy sponsors football club as Euro 24 fever takes hold 

NHS Nottingham and Nottinghamshire medical director Dr Dave Briggs said a quick blood pressure test” could “save your life” as high blood pressure “can increase your risk of developing serious problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, if it’s not treated”. 

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB said between April and December 2024, its pharmacies carried out “more than 43,000 blood pressure checks, with high-blood pressure detected in nearly 1,000 people”. 

Read more: Footie's Gazza ‘barred from all Newcastle chemists' over Calpol addiction 

In June, Superdrug reported a 209% rise in sales of magnesium tablets to combat the UK's "summer of stress" due to Euro 2024, the general election and changeable weather. 

Scottish football club Queen’s Park FC also announced in June that independent pharmacy chain M & D Green would continue to be one of its primary shirt sponsors for the 2024/25 season. 

And football legend Paul ‘Gazza’ Gascoigne revealed in 2023 that he was “barred from all the chemists” in Newcastle after an alcohol addiction led him to excessively purchase Calpol.