THIS weekend marks the end of the regular football season in Scotland with only the play-off matches, Scottish Cup final and Scotland's internationals remaining to complete the football calendar.

Traditionally, this time of the sporting year is a time for reflection on how the season has gone and the start of planning for the new programme, which will start all too soon for our professional sportsmen and women.

It is a time when some of our more "experienced" players contemplate their future in professional sport and, for some senior players, it marks their decision to retire.

One of the hardest decisions that our sportsmen and women have to make in their careers is when is the best time to retire.

While those of us who are keen amateurs may feel it is right to continue for as long as we are able, it is different in the world of professional sport.

Some will be content to drop down a level or two to continue while others will want to retire at their peak and be remembered as a great competitor at the highest level. For some, financial insecurity or the lack of alternate skills will make the decision for them.

Most sporting retirements are the result of injury, deselection or finance. For many of us retirement before 40 is but a dream but for many sportsmen and women it is the harsh reality of a point when the body, and possibly mind, has gone as far as it can and has to face the future of a new challenge without the training, competition and success (or failure) that results.

For the elite few it may have brought fame and fortune but for the majority it means looking for a job, often without any back-up qualifications. Whatever the reason the transition to a new way of life is problematic and some find it impossible to adjust.

But all is not doom and gloom. In recognition of the difficulties faced by most professional footballers on retirement, the SFA has spent considerable time and money to improve the educational qualifications of our current players thus making them more "attractive" to potential employers.

PFA Scotland, the players' union in Scotland makes a significant contribution with advice, support and input to players as they plan for their future without football. Those who retire through injury receive support from the PFA to enable them to be as active as possible, widening their employment opportunities for later life.

Outwith football, Sportscotland supports our current and potential athletes with programmes to allow them to maintain their education while they train and compete. Lifestyle advisors liaise with our Colleges and Universities, many of whom offer financially supported courses allowing the sportsmen and women to combine study with sporting endeavour.

Very few of our professional sportsmen and women have earned enough to be financially self-sufficient and not all are able or want a new career in the media. For many it may seem like the end of their career.

For others it can be the start of a new life and career outside sport. Enjoy!

The National Stadium Sports Health and Injury Clinic is on 0141-616 6161 and www.sportsmedicinecentre.org