NOBBY’S DEMENTIA CAUSED BY HEADING
Stiles family informed by leading doctor who examined World Cup winner’s brain ++ ‘Anger and vindication’ at heartbreaking news
THE family of the late Nobby Stiles have been told the England World Cup winner’s dementia was caused by heading footballs. In a brave move aimed at assisting research and finding answers, the 1966 legend’s wife Kay and three sons donated his brain to Dr Willie Stewart’s FIELD study, which is examining links between the disease and the sport. They have long believed that Stiles’s dementia was due to head trauma inflicted during a glittering career which also saw him lift the European Cup with Manchester
united. And in an emotional Zoom call with Dr stewart, their fears were confirmed.
The consultant neuropathologist, whose groundbreaking study has already found that ex-players are three and a half times more likely to die of a neurodegenerative disease than the general public, told the family he had completed his analysis, that the damage to nobby’s brain was ‘very severe’ and that it ‘could only have been caused by heading the ball over a sustained period’.
stiles died in october aged 78 after battling the disease for many years. he had also suffered from prostate cancer. his son John, himself a former professional footballer, told this newspaper that there was a ‘mixture of anger and vindication’ at the news.
‘on Friday, Dr stewart told us that he’d completed his analysis,’ he said. ‘he told us that the damage to my dad’s brain was very severe and could only be explained by him heading the ball over the sustained period of his career. it confirmed what he had believed for a long time.’
John is backing Sportsmail’s campaign calling for football to tackle its dementia scandal and has long pleaded for assistance for families of those suffering. one of the seven points in our charter demands that dementia be classed as an industrial disease. We have also demanded more action and funding from the Professional Footballers’ Association.
‘My father suffered an industrial injury that proved fatal,’ John added. ‘Although the family had suspected that dad’s illness and death had been caused by his profession, it still comes as a shock to have this confirmed by Dr stewart, especially given the shameful failure of the PFA to address this issue.’
John said that the family took the difficult decision to donate his father’s brain after discussing it among themselves. ‘My mother’s exact words when we suggested donating the brain were, “if it stops one person suffering the terrible torment of dementia that he went through, it’s worth doing”,’ he explained. ‘it’s more concrete proof that heading the ball kills.’
Dr stewart explained his findings. ‘CTe — chronic traumatic encephalopathy — is a progressive degenerative disease only found in people with a history of repetitive brain trauma,’ he said. ‘Brain injury and head impacts are the only recognised risk factors. We don’t find CTe in patients with dementia unless there is a story of brain injury or head impacts.
‘That’s why we see it in people who play football and rugby, and who box. The common theme is head impact. With nobby, the CTe was widespread throughout and at a high stage. he presented a story which was entirely typical of someone with CTe. All of the pathologies you would expect to see were there.’
Dr stewart added that the analysis painted a clear picture.
‘ There is a build- up of an abnormal form of a protein called Tau which builds up like a waste product over time,’ he said. ‘ You do see it in those with Alzheimer’s disease but the specific pattern of CTe gives it away. We see footballers diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and other dementias in high numbers but the reality is that among those there are undoubtedly cases of CTe — it’s just not recognised in the clinics.
‘ With nobby, there is no recorded history of him sustaining a brain injury or concussion.
‘hence we propose his risk came from heading the ball. While he may have headed the ball a certain number of times in a match, like many others he would have been subject to countless impacts in training sessions. every single impact could have caused damage.’
Born in Collyhurst, Manchester, stiles played nearly 400 times for his beloved united. The tough-tackling midfielder had an integral role in england’s glorious 1966 World Cup win and two years later he was in Matt Busby’s side who became the first from england to lift the european Cup on another magical day at Wembley.
But both successes became tinged with sadness and alarm as the years passed. in november, sir Bobby Charlton became the fifth member of that great england e l d side id t to b be di diagnosed d with dementia or Alzheimer’s, while the united team of 1968, in which stiles and Charlton also both starred, has been similarly affected.
‘ Tony Dunne, Bill Foulkes, nobby stiles, Bobby Charlton — nearly half the outfield team,’ said John. ‘Given the numbers involved in both sides we strongly suspected that there is a serious issue. This confirms what we thought all along and there is a mix of anger and vindication.’ Much of the anger lies with a failure to act within the sport. in 2002, a coroner ruled that former england striker Jeff Astle died at 59 after repeated head trauma from heading the ball.
Astle’s daughter Dawn has since been a tireless campaigner. ‘Almost two decades have passed since Jeff ’ s inquest,’ said John. ‘And nothing has changed. That’s two whole generations of footballers who have been put at risk.’
since stiles’s death, the family have been inundated with wellwishes. ‘ When dad died we issued a statement on behalf of my mum and brothers referring to how proud we were of him as a man, his humility, courage, patriotism, kindness and humour,’ said John.
‘Dad was loved by those who knew him and we have been very touched by the reaction to his death, but we now know he was let down by the game he loved.’