Dementia in former footballers

21-10-2019 2:18pm #1

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2019/10/20/doctors-ready-announce-results-study-links-serious-brain-disease/

So, would you like to see football where heading the balls was treated the same as handling?

What would football look like when heading is banned?

Minime2.5 · 21-10-2019 2:21pm

The football's of today are much lighter

is_that_so · 21-10-2019 2:21pm

It doesn't really say whether this research is applicable to lighter modern balls. The tragic Astle and others played at a time when it was a rubber brick

Fr Tod Umptious · 21-10-2019 2:23pm

There was a lot of giving out here a few years back when the US decided to ban heading the ball in kids and youth games etc.
Lots of talk of stupid Yanks ruining the game again etc.

But since then Kevin Doyle has retired on medical advice around concussion.
There may be others.

I wonder have people's attitudes changed.

Personally I'd rather my kid was not heading the ball.

whiskeyman · 21-10-2019 2:25pm

The key here is if the research focused on players using balls of the current standard.
Balls used back in the day were totally different, especially when wet.

If it's proven, Id prefer if a pro player could use some type of skull cap or something instead of banning it. I see heading as a key skill of the game.
I doubt the average player will need anything as they don't play with as much frequency.
I guess the risk needs to be weighed up.... is there as much risk as me smashing my head against a post / players boot as long term ball heading impact.

21-10-2019 2:33pm

The trouble is players using a current ball are not in retirement, so there is no certain way to know if the effect is reduced or gone

fatbhoy · 21-10-2019 2:39pm

Minime2.5 wrote: »

The football's of today are much lighter

That's true, but apparently they move with higher velocities, so sometimes heading a modern football has them same impact force as heading one of the older types.

I remember heading the old Mitre laminated balls in the 80s and 90s: really hard and heavy balls that hurt even when dry.

is_that_so · 21-10-2019 2:41pm

Deleted User wrote: »

The trouble is players using a current ball are not in retirement, so there is no certain way to know if the effect is reduced or gone

The older balls (of Astle's time and before) were not properly water resistant and could get very heavy, possibly double in weight on wet pitches and even knock people out. These days days the weight is a more constant 410-450g.

PhlegmyMoses · 21-10-2019 2:46pm

Football has a dreadful attitude towards head injuries and concussion. Repetitive heading of the ball, in air collisions, keepers coming out with their fists to punch a ball while a player competes with his head, players going under the jumper of a header and flipping them over the apex etc. Yesterday had a good example with Daniel James, got a wallop in the head from a fair enough tackle from Fabinho and went down. He should have been off for some sort of concussion assessment, and the attitude of fans, players and pundits was one of disdain. It's a weird blind spot that football gas and the narrative is really off kilter with other sports that are further along in their understanding.

21-10-2019 3:02pm

I've actually read on here that getting a concussion has no relationship to being knocked out. No messing.
That shows the level of knowledge around head injuries in general.

You can get head injuries from whiplash also. Doesn't have to be a direct impact to the head, the issues is the rapid shaking of the head / brain.

Be interesting to read what ball was used for the research. It's also completely variable to what extent the impact is. Like you could for example clear the ball off the line with your head from a 40 yard screamer moving at high speed.

Or repetitive stuff like general clearances and or knock downs from kick outs ect, probably doing more damage over long periods.

LoughNeagh2017 · 30-10-2019 5:35pm

I think that people should be more concerned about the hundreds of men killing themselves in todays society more than wealthy ex footballers getting sick in old age. I am sure that most players would have still decided to play professional football even if they are aware they would be damaged by it. Remember that a footballer has a far better quality of life than average Joe. All this talk about depression in football irritates me, should I be bothered about millionaires finding it hard to get out of bed for training? Give me a break, they wouldn't last a month living my sort of life

Beasty · 30-10-2019 10:08pm

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

I think that people should be more concerned about the hundreds of men killing themselves in todays society more than wealthy ex footballers getting sick in old age. I am sure that most players would have still decided to play professional football even if they are aware they would be damaged by it. Remember that a footballer has a far better quality of life than average Joe. All this talk about depression in football irritates me, should I be bothered about millionaires finding it hard to get out of bed for training? Give me a break, they wouldn't last a month living my sort of life

You do realise that many of the ex-footballers now suffering naver made that sort of money

I was at the Nobby Stiles memorabilia auction a few years ago. He was selling it all off to at last be able to leave something to look after his family. He was too ill to attend the auction, but had some time previously mentioned he only earned about £30,000 the year either England won the World Cup, or United won the European Cup. Many of these guys were playing before Jimmy Hill got the maximum wage abolished (it was around £20 per week during the season, £17 during the off-season)

These careers are very short, and in the lower leagues players can still struggle to make a living

Captain Havoc · 30-10-2019 10:42pm

If anyone is on audible there's a free four part series with Jeff Astle's family. It is quite graphic about his death. Also there's a story about an abused wife, which is fairly shocking.

I don't like the comment about rich ex-footballers, I think the average wage of a footballer is only something like £500 per week plus there are amateurs you won't hear about.

30-10-2019 11:57pm

LoughNeagh2017 wrote: »

I think that people should be more concerned about the hundreds of men killing themselves in todays society more than wealthy ex footballers getting sick in old age. I am sure that most players would have still decided to play professional football even if they are aware they would be damaged by it. Remember that a footballer has a far better quality of life than average Joe. All this talk about depression in football irritates me, should I be bothered about millionaires finding it hard to get out of bed for training? Give me a break, they wouldn't last a month living my sort of life

99% of profootballers are not wealthy. Most make a poor living over a short career.

Dementia in former footballers

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