Burnley 1960 heroes dementia

[oldcolner]

Come on FA get your finger out and help those who made you what you are!

The plight of Burnley's 1960 heroes proves dementia IS a football disease... Jimmy Robson is one of SEVEN title-winning stars to be affected by the illness as he recalls flicking on headers because 'it needed to be done.


https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...l-disease.html

[oldcolner]

Come on FA get your finger out and help those who made you what you are!

Should we not try to do something about this at club level. Does BFC in the Community not help look after retired players?
Can BT inquire?

Should we put a petition to parliament (59?) demanding “Government must recognise brain injury in footballers as an industrial disease and urgently discuss with the FA how to establish an immediate support system and compensation for former players and their careers.”

If so can BT put this on all clarets mad sites?

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I would have thought the PFA would have a handle on this following the Jeff Astle campaign?

I'll research it further.

[oldcolner]

I would have thought the PFA would have a handle on this following the Jeff Astle campaign?

I'll research it further.

Thanks BT

PFA issued this 30 mins ago.

Dementia in football: PFA to create taskforce to examine issue of brain injury diseases

More procrastination I fear.

Getting it classified as an industrial disease by Government at least opens up care funding, so far only one coroner has blamed heading the ball for death - that was Alan Jarvis last month.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/

Nobby Stiles: Family says football 'must address scandal of dementia' affecting former players and outlines the problems.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/54976910

[Supersub6]

Very sad indeed and the article is good because, sadly, Jimmy has his good days but they are getting fewer.
Shortly before last season groubd to a halt, I was in the Foundation Lounge at the Turf and Jimmy was in there with a lot of his family. I had not seen him for a couple of years and was not aware of his problems, however, Dany put me in the picture. Jimmy and I had a little chat, mainly about John Angus who roomed together with Jimmy when they first went to the Turf, and he had some lovely memories but tired very quickly.

I alway think back to the balls in use in the 1950s and early 1960s and can remember just what it was like to head them.

[oldcolner]

Very sad indeed and the article is good because, sadly, Jimmy has his good days but they are getting fewer.
Shortly before last season groubd to a halt, I was in the Foundation Lounge at the Turf and Jimmy was in there with a lot of his family. I had not seen him for a couple of years and was not aware of his problems, however, Dany put me in the picture. Jimmy and I had a little chat, mainly about John Angus who roomed together with Jimmy when they first went to the Turf, and he had some lovely memories but tired very quickly.

I alway think back to the balls in use in the 1950s and early 1960s and can remember just what it was like to head them.

Great to know you are in contact with so many legends and can share memories. Sad all Dany got from the FA was a leaflet. They will be scared of opening up flood gates to litigation as happened with head injury in USA football. The more have died through their procrastination the less any payout.

It isn’t just Alzheimer’s either other debilitation conditions like Parkinson’s also have a higher incidence.

Does the club do anything for Jimmy and his family- charity begins at home.

Saw Geoff Hurst telling how they spent 30 mins heading a ball on string in practice on the news today.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

At least the ball is rolling so to speak.

[oldcolner]

At least the ball is rolling so to speak.

Very slowly I fear, they have known about this for at least 2 years from the Glasgow study, if they really looked after members that was enough to do something immediately, not look for more research. They need a kicking and a heading

[sinkov]

While there is obviously a serious problem that has to be addressed, it's not quite as straightforward as it might appear. I watched virtually every game Jimmy Mac played on Turf Moor from 1958 onwards, and in numerous away games as well, I never saw him head a football, Adam Blacklaw was a goalkeeper, Brian Pilkington was tiny, I don't recall Pilky ever heading the ball either. I'm not saying they didn't, but I would imagine every young man in the country who played non league and amateur football would have headed a football as often as Adam, Jimmy Mac and Pilky. Are most of them suffering from dementia as well ?
The road this is going down will lead to an end to heading the ball, fair enough, but it will be a different game from then on, footy as we know it will be finished, and old men and women will still get dementia.

[Supersub6]

While there is obviously a serious problem that has to be addressed, it's not quite as straightforward as it might appear. I watched virtually every game Jimmy Mac played on Turf Moor from 1958 onwards, and in numerous away games as well, I never saw him head a football, Adam Blacklaw was a goalkeeper, Brian Pilkington was tiny, I don't recall Pilky ever heading the ball either. I'm not saying they didn't, but I would imagine every young man in the country who played non league and amateur football would have headed a football as often as Adam, Jimmy Mac and Pilky. Are most of them suffering from dementia as well ?
The road this is going down will lead to an end to heading the ball, fair enough, but it will be a different game from then on, footy as we know it will be finished, and old men and women will still get dementia.

Good post sinkov and all very true. Both my mum and dead suffered from dementia and my dad was not a footballer and my mum certainly never headed a football, she was only 4ft 11" tall.
It certainly is a sad thing and it needs to be considered in the world of professional football, however, it will have the effect on the game that you have said and will be another nail in the coffin of what used to be a great game.

I have to admit that, with my family history, having played over 1000 games of football at a decent level plus having a fractured skull twice I must be a candidate ---if I am not already there!