The game killed dad and players’ union should be shouting from the rooftops to help these old guys. But instead they’re buying art. It’s immoral
Daughter hits out at PFA for ignoring agony of former stars
The daughter of the first footballer ruled to have died of an “industrial illness” has hit out at a players’ union for spending millions on art while ignoring the game’s dementia problem.
A coroner ruled former West Brom and England hero Jeff Astle had been killed by the sport, aged 59, after a five-year fight with the condition.
Professional Footballers’ Association chief Gordon Taylor – who earns around £3.4million a year – used union funds to spend more than £1.9million on LS Lowry painting Going To The Match in 1999.
A further three expensive Lowry works were bought in 2015, including £1.65million for 1953 piece The Railway Platform.
But families of former players dealing with dementia believed to be caused by heading footballs are raging that money has not been stumped up to ease their plight.
Ast le’s daughter Dawn said: “The PFA should be screaming from the rooftops for these old guys.
“It’s absolutely immoral when you look at the money in the game.
“Gordon Taylor’s on a good wage. When we had a meeting with him, I noticed a Lowry painting up on his wall and I thought, ‘ That would look after a few players. That would put a few families’ minds at rest when they’re struggling to pay for care home bills’.
“Guys suffering dementiaa now weren’t on the ridiculousus money players get today.
“My dad played at the highest st level but, when he finished, he started window cleaning.
“There are so many players ers out there who had good careersers in the lower leagues and they hey aren’t getting any support.
“Hundreds, possibly thousands,thous of these guys have been abandoned. a The sport has turnedturne its back on them.” The Sunday Mail last week threw its weight behind the familiesfamil of ex-players hit with early onset dementia, including former form Man Utd and Dundee Utd defender Frank Koppel and ex-e Celtic star Chris Sutton’s dad Mike. We W told how Glasgow University U neurologist Dr
I think my dad is just the tip of the iceberg. There could be thousands of players suffering
Willie Stewart had taken part in a study with Stirling University scientists that appeared to suggest heading a modern- day ball causes brain damage over a 24-hour period.
Dawn added: “Dad was surrounded by all his medals and all his cups but he died not even knowing he was a footballer.
“Everything football gave him, football took away.”
Justifying the expense of Going To The Match, Taylor said: “We wanted to buy it for football. We consider this one of the finest paintings and it represents the heart and soul of the game.”
Last Thursday marked the 15th anniversary of Jeff’s death.
Dawn is filming a documentary on her fight with football to recognise its links with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – caused by repeated blows to the head – and met again with Taylor on Friday.
Despite the coroner’s 2002 ruling, mum- of- two Dawn is furious that football has failed to fund proper research into the condition and support families of ex-players hit with it.
Following the coroner’s verdict, a joint FA and PFA study was launched. Around 30 young players from the academies of professional clubs were to be monitored after one year, five years and 10 years.
But the project was shut down after just five years because many of the players involved had fallen out of the game.
Dawn said: “Exactly 15 years on, we’re no further forward. We were stunned to find out in 2014 that the research was never concluded. It’s disgu disgusting. It’s indefensible. “T This isn’t a broken leg or li ligament damage or arthritis. arthr People are dying.” Dawn Daw added: “I think they’re terrified terrifi of what they’re going to find .find I think my dad is just the tip of the iceberg. There could beb thousands. “The authoritiesa are trying to protect the game. But they shouldshouldbbe protecting the players. “My dadda was only 54 when he was wasdiagn diagnosed. He was dead at 59. “He couldn’t be left for a second because he would cut himself on knives and he once tried to jump out of a moving car. “Before he died, he didn’t know me or my sisters. It’s devastating to see him fade before your eyes.” Dawn wants the footbal l authorities to f inal ly fund research and set up specialist care facilities for ex-footballers with early onset dementia. She said: “We want to start a Jeff Astle Foundation with homes for ex-players with dementia and we want research to be done.”