DEMENTIA AGONY OF FOOTBALL IDOL JIMMY’S FAMILY
Son tells how dad doesn’t know who he is any more
The son of football giant Jimmy Calderwood has told how Alzheimer’s disease has left his dad with no memory of his 50-year career.
Scott Calderwood said his father is in hospital and his condition has deteriorated so much he does not recognise his family.
Jimmy, 66, famous for his larger- than- life personality and as manager of Aberdeen, Kilmarnock, Dunfermline and Ross County, was diagnosed with the early onset of the disease in 2017.
In an emotional interview, Scott – who works as a coach in Holland – said: “My dad doesn’t know who I am now. He’s really struggled for the last few years.
“In the last couple of months, the decline has been very quick. He doesn’t know anyone, doesn’t recognise people.
“You just see a different man. My dad is a big character, always bubbly. But that’s gone now. It’s unbelievable.
“In his face, you can obviously see a difference in him. But it’s more in his mind. You get very little response. When you’re talking to him, you just think, ‘He’s not here.’”
Scott has spoken about his dad’s condition in the wake of renewed concern about the links with dementia and former footballers. Academics have confirmed a link between heading of a football and heightened risk of developing the disease in later life.
Alzheimer’s is the most common type of dementia and progressively causes loss of memory and cognitive functions.
Players’ union the PFA last week launched their Prevent scheme, which plans to screen former players for their dementia risk and give lifestyle advice, which can also be a factor.
One of the first to sign up to it was former Scotland captain Colin Hendry, 55. He told the Sunday Mail he was living in fear of dementia after heading the ball thousands of times in his career.
Scott, 43, said the family began to notice the signs of dementia when Jimmy began getting lost while driving and forgetting to do things.
He said: “You tell yourself it won’t come to anything bad. But then he’d start asking you the same question over and over again. Sometimes it was two and three times. When he was doing that with the kids, it was really noticeable. He’d ask them the same question he’d asked them 10 minutes ago. That’s when it really started to accelerate.
“You think it’ll only get worse when he’s 70 or 80. Now I know that’s not the case.”