An interview with the family of former Celtic star Stevie Chalmers

TOMORROW:

hangman’s noose with the ball hanging down on the end of it.

“He would have to run and head and people would throw balls at him.”

Martyn says: “The big difference between the game now and then is the football. I remember dad used to say when the ball got wet it would soak up the water and was akin to heading a medicine ball at times. To header that ball consistently, there must be some concussive effect.

“You can look at other techniques, lighter balls and so on but it’s a big part of football.

“With modern football the medical back-up is also completely different to when my dad played. You were lucky if someone came on with a bucket of water and a sponge. They also didn’t have substitutes, once you were on, you were on.

“Any developments in safeguarding players, from the age of 12 to professional players, have to be looked at.”

Liz hopes to get as many of the family together as possible to mark the first anniversary of Billy’s death.

“We have got a nice stone and it’s just two minutes down the road from us in the Mearns.

“We all went down at Christmas and took wee Christmassy trees down. It’s trying to get them all together at the same time.”

She is conscious that putting her husband’s name to the new football dementia fund will boost the profile of the charity and the disease, but wants Billy to be remembered for his sporting achievements. A second statue is planned in her husband’s hometown of Bellshill. She is not convinced that knowledge of the dementia risk would have curtailed his playing career.

“You can’t put an old head on young shoulders. If I had said to Billy years and years ago, do you think this is the right thing to do? Football was his life. It’s what he did.”