I SPEAK FOR THE OLD PLAYERS DYING IN THEIR CARE HOMES
AN OVERHAUL at the top of the PFA will be the best thing for football. Fresh faces, new blood. What is so important is that whoever takes over understands what the issues are — not just for the modern-day footballer but for former footballers, too. There are old players out there who cannot speak for themselves because they are dying in care homes. Someone has to speak for them. It haunts me what happened to my dad, Jeff. On Tuesday, I spoke at the Brain Injury Conference in Cardiff. People ask me how do I go to these events and talk about my experiences with my dad, but you have to. This is real. It happened. I speak for my dad and I will always speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. I would be more than happy to work alongside the new PFA regime and help in any way I can. Gordon Taylor’s departure is long overdue. Whoever replaces him, I hope it is someone who will fight tooth and nail for these important issues facing football today. The PFA have spent £9million on memorabilia, more than £2m goes to Taylor’s salary, we are told they have £50m in the bank, yet only £125,000 goes to the study on dementia in football. How can they possibly justify that imbalance? It’s disgusting. I’ve never said the entire organisation are useless. They are not. The PFA have done some great work but it could be so much better. The PFA’s entire existence is about player welfare but they have done nowhere near enough. My dad died in 2002 but the study into dementia in football only began in 2018. Even today, I am attending the funeral of a former player who died of dementia. The PFA commissioned the study but it did not feel like they did so out of the goodness of their heart but because they were shamed into doing it. Not just by me or my family, or by West Bromwich Albion supporters, but by all football fans. I just hope whoever takes over will fight to make things right.