How football failed Nobby ...the 1966 World Cup hero struggling with dementia

The crusade was launched after revelations that he, along with teammates Ray Wilson and Martin Peters, had had dementia diagnosed. Jack Charlton also revealed that he suffers from severe memory loss.

Former team-mate Sir Bobby Charlton and the rest of the World Cup squad are among the few people involved in the game who remained supportive over the years.

In 2010 Stiles, who still lives near Old Trafford, suffered a mini-stroke before announcing he was selling his medals and football memorabilia to raise money for his family.

Stiles’s family also criticised the Professional Footballers’ Association, saying the organisation contacted the family for the first time “in years” after last year’s anniversary.

The PFA wrote to Stiles’s wife Kay to say they had become aware a number of Sir Alf Ramsey’s team were not well and they wanted to help. Mrs Stiles was then told that there was a means-tested scheme, if she wished to apply. She declined.

It is 15 years since the FA and PFA pledged to undertake a joint study into a possible link between dementia and football after the death of former The Manchester United legend in 2008 West Bromwich Albion star Jeff Astle at the age of 59 after suffering a degenerative brain disease.

Rob Stiles added: “Dad’s illness hadn’t even become obvious to us when the FA and PFA first promised to look at the possible link between the game and the illness.

“We thought there would be some understanding in his lifetime. We are talking about football’s equivalent of industrial disease.”

Manchester United and PFA have so far failed to respond to requests for comment about the family’s claims.

Yesterday the revelations prompted an angry backlash on social media.

One fan wrote: “State of football when an agent gets paid £20million for a deal and a footballing hero like Nobby Stiles has to sell medals and struggle alone.”

Another said: “Sad to see this, Man Utd should be doing more for Nobby Stiles. Like to think football look after their own.”