PFA FINALLY SET UP FUND FOR DEMENTIA SUFFERERS

A CARE fund for former footballers with dementia is close to being launched, with the PFA yesterday urging football’s stakeholders to push through the plans. Maheta Molango, the new chief executive of the players’ union south of the border, has been heavily involved in the process. It comes after news that Molango had no control over the PFA’s £62million cash reserves, leaving him powerless to help former players in need. But after months of discussions between the PFA, Premier League, eFL and FA, a draft action is now in the process of being agreed. ‘About time,’ said Sportsmail columnist Chris Sutton, one of many who feel a care fund in football is long overdue. The news comes almost a year after this newspaper launched a campaign, saying ‘enough is enough’ and that football’s dementia scandal must be tackled. Yesterday’s announcement is a victory for the former footballers who are now struggling. Sportsmail knows of two families of high-profile figures suffering from dementia, who have been fighting to get the £50,000 they each need for care costs. In a statement, Molango said: ‘The PFA will always be an advocate for former players living with neurodegenerative conditions and their families, so now we must consult with them before finalising the parameters of our joint action plan to ensure PFA members have access to the best care possible.’ Sutton, whose father, Mike, also a professional footballer, died with dementia, said: ‘There is no time to waste because enough of it has been wasted already.’