Footballer Taking Legal Action against FA over Brain Condition from heading ball
In the News
It's always been known that footballers are prone to head injuries and i have often wondered why they never developed head protection to shield the brain from injury
Now footballers are starting to take action against the FA for just this reason
Ian Alexander who played for Bristol in the 90ś has developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy from the constant trauma of heading the ball and only has a few years to live
There are also 30 other footballers with other illnesses also doing the same
I believe we will see a massive increase in court cases similar to this with retired footballers suffering anything from alzheimers to brain tumours, some football related
The FA supply protection for other body parts of footballers from injury such as shin pads , but the most sensitive part of the body, the head , no
I know this is a subject the ladies will not be so interested in, but the injuries can apply to women footballers also, in fact more so concerning the skull

1 of our older players developed problems from heading the ball and eventually his death was directly linked to the condition . The time has come where if a player even suffers it then the powers at be should and if they don't put the players at high risk and I commend Ian Alexander for going ahead with holding people to account.

stuartsmith544 I agree with what you say S , it's taken a long time but at least he is doing something

If you bang your head against a ball or a wall constantly then it follows suit that you will incur head damage at some point. Some jobs of course leave us more exposed than others but there are no real surprises here.

MelissaLee1 Medical experts compare it to being in a bad car accident where you have head trauma M

telmel I fell backwards down an escalator in my twenties.Lived to tell the tale Thank God but a hole in my head where the rain gets in lol.I get mildly detached at times but I won't be sueing anyone that's for sure.Er no I wasn't drunk but on some mad meds for hyperthyroidism if I recall correctly which I seldom do these days lol.

MelissaLee1 That sounds nasty M
My head trauma was through a car accident many years ago , head battered against the convertible car hood frame as it somersaulted down a ditch after skidding across the road
Ironically my head swelled to the size of a football , i could have done with wearing head protection

telmel stops you worrying so much about the silly stuff though doesn't it?We're here until we ain't lol.lucky weren't your head that somersaulted down a ditch.Seriously though a friend of mine was decapitated in a car accident a few months before she was due to get married.I have never driven a car.I am scatty enough on legs.

I totally agree that head protection should be worn. Surely it won't reduce the interest in the sport and its another thing they can sell at inflated prices for people who want the full kit. We know heading the ball can cause brain injuries so seems madness not to have head protection that will absorb more of this impact nowadays. For international games the helmets could be coloured to each persons national flag etc. I'm personally not interested in league games but I suspect if we have lots of claims for head injuries then ticket prices will rise again if those claims are successful.

BonzoBanana The managers could even monopolise on the head protection by putting advertising on it at the most prominent position so it serves a dual purpose

It’s terrible that footballers are experiencing these dreadful dementia episodes and it’s linked with header ing the ball but surely they weren’t forced to do it.

I couldn't imagine players running around with an helmet on lol I think some people are more suseptible than others, hundreds of thousands of ex-players who are fine, I'm a regular football watcher, modern players today, do not head the ball as much as they use to do....

martinlufc5637 I think the only upside is that the balls they use nowadays are a lighter material, they used leather coated balls many years ago right up to 1986 , so it is now that a lot of older players are starting to show signs of past head trauma
But imagine the damage caused when the balls were completely leather in the 1800s , 1900s and wet after it had been raining

telmel I remember them old leather balls in the 80's soaked up water like a sponge

There are loads of sports that have had changes to ensure there are no long term lasting effects, such as boxing. But surely most only should partake knowing the risks? Although I’m sure if you started training from a young age, you probably wouldn’t have understood the risks as all you wanted to do was take part
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