FA ‘passionate’ on dementia
ing from that guide is far more important than what’s there. There is nothing on what support is available within the sport or CTE, which are the first things families ask us about.
“That made my blood boil. Yet they could find space for patronising advice like try finger food if you are struggling with a knife and fork.”
Anger at the lack of support for players with dementia is fuelled by the money flooding into the sport. Last month’s annual review of football finance showed Europe’s top five leagues had a combined revenue of nearly £25billion from TV, tickets, and merchandise in 2015/16.
That does not include the Premier League’s latest £8.1billion-ayear television deal.
It has led to extravagant spending by Europe’s biggest clubs. This month Brazilian superstar Neymar joined Paris Saint-Germain for a record football transfer fee of £200million – double what it cost the NHS to build and equip a state-of-the art emergency centre in Northumbria.
Neymar will earn £570,000 per week after tax. And last season Manchester United reportedly paid agent Mino Railoa £41m to land midfielder Paul Pogba.
Allan Gilliver was a “jobbing footballer” who lost his savings when his pension went bust.
Allan, from Bradford, scored nearly 100 goals for 10 different clubs including Huddersfield Town and Blackburn Rovers during the 1960s and 1970s.
When he developed dementia at just 64 and the bones in his neck began to crumble, there were no fans to fund his care as he never stayed with one club long enough to earn legendary status.
When his wife Christine went into hospital for brain surgery in 2014 the couple could not afford £1,6000 for Allan to spend two weeks in a care home so two friends looked after him.
Christine said: “It was horrific. My step-daughter is a policewoman and one of our best friends is a fireman. Both those organisations have benevolent homes for past and present staff.
“Neither of them is as wealthy as football. Yet there is nothing to help former players like Allan.”
Allan, now 73, has since suffered a stroke. The Professional Footballers Association gave £240 towards physiotherapy sessions, but Christine says they declined to help with his dementia.
She said: “It think it is a disgrace that football isn’t doing more.”
Stan Bowles was a 70s superstar for Queens Park Rangers and England but now has dementia and lives with his daughter Andria in the same red-brick suburb of Manchester where he grew up.
Stan, 68, can no longer remember his glory days or his own name. Andria is determined to look after Stan as long as she can, but knows the day will come when she can no longer cope, especially as she also cares for six year-old granddaughter Macie.
Luckily Stan still has an army of fans who campaigned for a year for Queens Park Rangers to hold a benefit match for him last month and nearly 10,000 fans turned out to say goodbye to their hero.
The match netted £100,000 in ticket sales alone and the club has pledged to donate “at least £15,000” to a fund for Stan and other former QPR players.
That is dwarfed by the £50,000 raised for Stan by fans through a charity website. THE FA’s head of medicine Dr Charlotte Cowie said the organisation was passionate about addressing dementia and would be funding new research with the PFA into the risks of heading the ball.
But an FA spokesman said schemes to support former players were normally provided by the PFA.
The new PFA guidebook for footballers with dementia recommends they contact charities such as Sporting Memories, which helps families use sport to connect with relatives with dementia.
The guide also offers them specialist advice on benefits, but does not mention any funds offered by the PFA or how to apply for them.
John Bramhall, deputy chief executive of the PFA, said: “When we are approached by families and dependents we look to give what assistance we can. “There have been cases where we have helped with respite care and amendments to their homes. We can’t pay for full time residential care, it’s not within our gift to do that.” “We have a benevolent and accident fund of £800,000 to provide assistance to former members who are suffering as a consequence of injuries or issues that come from their playing career. “Not all will be suffering from dementia. The main call on that is for knee, hip, and ankle problems that former members are suffering with.”