KIDS BANNED FROM HEADERS TRAINING
Now bar adults too, pleads Jeff’s girl
★
RIO de Janeiro’s famous carnival saw glittering displays from dancers in sexy costumes. ★
They paraded around the Brazilian city in flamboyant headgear and
SCHOOLKIDS were yesterday banned from heading footballs amid brain damage fears.
FA chiefs barred under-12s from practising headers, while 12 to 18-yearolds face restrictions. The move pleased campaigners, although it affects training only and not games.
It follows research showing ex-footballers were threeand-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease.
The ban applies in England, Scotland and Northern revealing G-strings to the amazement of onlookers. ★
The five-day event, which ends tomorrow, has attracted millions of partygoers from around the world.
Ireland. The Welsh FA reviewing the issue.
FA chief executive Mark Bullingham said: “This updated heading guidance is an evolution of our current guidelines and will help coaches and teachers to reduce and remove repetitive and unnecessary heading from youth football.”
The rule change was welcomed by Dawn Astle, who has called for more research since the 2002 death of her father Jeff, aged 59. A coroner ruled the ex-England and is still
West Brom star died from dementia caused by heading.
Dawn said she was “really pleased” with the new rule, but it should be brought in “across the whole game”.
She added: “I’ve always believed, and my mum has always believed, that my dad’s problems and what ended up killing him was the amount of heading of the ball he did in training.
“I believe it’s the cumulative effect of that which is ultimately killing the players.’’