Calls for greater dementia support after Bobby Charlton diagnosis
There have been calls for more research into the links between football and dementia, following the diagnosis of England World Cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton with the disease.
The news followed the death of Charlton’s former team-mate Nobby Stiles, who also suffered from the disease, as did his brother Jack, who passed away earlier this year. Ray Wilson and Martin Peters also had the condition before their deaths in 2018 and 2019 respectively, meaning that five of the side that won the World Cup in 1966 have been diagnosed.
In 2019, a study from Glasgow University found that footballers are three and a half times more likely to develop dementia than the general population, and The PFA has faced criticism from the families of former players, who believe that the union can do more to help.
Speaking to The Daily Mail, chief executive Gordon Taylor said: “We’ve said research is needed into heading the ball, repetitive heading and concussion…it’s important we keep researching and analysing and then if necessary you’ve got to look to change the rules and be careful about repetitive heading.”
In February, training guidelines were updated to say that there should be no heading for children under 11 years old, while IFAB recently revealed that they plan to trial the use of extra substitutes in case of suspected head injuries next year.
Over 30 former pros have signed up to a study into the early signs of dementia at the University of East Anglia.
We will have more on the links between football and dementia in a Special Report next month.