FRASER WISHART, the chief executive of PFA Scotland, is to hold talks with the SFA and the SPL in an attempt to scale down "intrusive" drug testing which is due to start next season.

Under the proposals, 30 of the top players in Scotland will have to inform testers from UK Sport where they will be for one hour of every day of the year, including their holidays. A similar scheme will be introduced in England as a consequence of Fifa signing up with the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada).

If implemented, the testing would make top footballers as accountable for their movements as Olympic athletes. The "whereabouts ruling" will come on top of existing testing within football and the players involved would be subject to a further five tests a year.

If they are not where they stated they would be on any three occasions they face a two-year ban from football. Olympic gold medallist Christine Ohuruogu received such a suspension in 2006.

"We think it is overkill," said Wishart. "We're not sure who is going to be chosen, but I would imagine it will be international players and top club ones.

"We're obviously opposed to any kind of doping in football but I can't think of a case in the UK where a player has been found with performance-enhancing drugs in his system. We feel there is already a robust system within football, and that the testing being proposed is more appropriate for individual athletes."

When it was put to Wishart that footballers could take performance-enhancing drugs in the close season, thus getting round existing testing, he replied: "Footballers are very rarely out of competition. It's an 11-month season with three or four weeks off in the summer. Contractually they are only given 20 days' holiday.

"Six days out of seven it's very simple to find out where a football player is going to be. He will be at his training ground, the club, or at a game.

"I can understand the whereabouts ruling for athletes, but not in football where every player has a place of work.

"Already at every (SPL) game there's a chance a player is going to be tested.

"In international and European football there is automatic testing for selected players. In theory a player could be tested every single day he turns up for his work."

Wishart's concerns are shared by the PFA in England and also by Fifpro, the international players' association.

Fifpro's public affairs spokesman Tony Higgins told the Sunday Herald that they are going to liaise with their rugby and cricket counterparts who share the same concerns about Wada testing.

"There is a view that if you are professional player and go to a specific location every day surely that is enough for UK Sport or whoever is doing the testing," Higgins pointed out.

"Fifpro are going to speak to Wada, along with the rugby and cricket associations.

"The instances of players taking performance-enhancing drugs worldwide are minimal. Is it worth the time and effort of the top players having to tell the testers where they are on their days off? Fifa were against it, but had to comply.

"There is also a human rights issue. Players have a right to confidentiality the same as everybody else, and it's asking a lot to expect them to tell the testers where they are for an hour each day when they're on holiday."

An SFA spokesman confirmed that they are planning to hold talks with PFA Scotland and Uefa about the proposals.