Burnley 1960 heroes 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!

[oldcolner]

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!

Alzheimer’s is supposed to be early onset dementia, though terminology gets confused and I guess some of the cases are old age related. Jeff Astle being a classic example. The problem is you need to dissect the brain after death to get a true diagnosis. That’s not very helpful for sufferers.
Getting it classed as an industrial injury as asbestos is would at least offer families support. Cutting down heading is sensible 30 mins heading a brick in practice is non sense these days surely and head injury time outs and heading bans for children are sensible too. Maybe Jimmy and Brian had to head in training though rarely used it on the pitch. Maybe they just got dementia of old age. Stats say brain injury is 3.5 times more likely in footballers.
By the time the FA and PFA have got sorted most sufferers will have died, so I doubt it will kill the game.

[oldcolner]

David Cameron is President of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Maybe BTs contacts could get him tackling this topic

[The Bedlington Terrier]

David Cameron is President of Alzheimer’s Research UK.
Maybe BTs contacts could get him tackling this topic

I'll nip round to his caravan and borrow a cup of milk while I'm at it...

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[sinkov]

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!

I doubt I played as many games as you Sub, and certainly not at the same level, but I was playing from early ****s and still playing in my mid 30s. I think, like you, I'm still Ok, but one little thing nags at me, I started out at centre-forward, but sometime in my late 20s I switched to full-back, I used to say it was because I was getting older and slower, but the real reason, which I didn't like to admit, was that I was becoming reluctant to head the ball because it had started to give me headaches. So far I'm not aware of any long term damage, but who knows, there's time yet.

[alfinyalcabo]

I doubt I played as many games as you Sub, and certainly not at the same level, but I was playing from early ****s and still playing in my mid 30s. I think, like you, I'm still Ok, but one little thing nags at me, I started out at centre-forward, but sometime in my late 20s I switched to full-back, I used to say it was because I was getting older and slower, but the real reason, which I didn't like to admit, was that I was becoming reluctant to head the ball because it had started to give me headaches. So far I'm not aware of any long term damage, but who knows, there's time yet.

Your brain has been damaged politically Sinky.lol

[Supersub6]

I doubt I played as many games as you Sub, and certainly not at the same level, but I was playing from early ****s and still playing in my mid 30s. I think, like you, I'm still Ok, but one little thing nags at me, I started out at centre-forward, but sometime in my late 20s I switched to full-back, I used to say it was because I was getting older and slower, but the real reason, which I didn't like to admit, was that I was becoming reluctant to head the ball because it had started to give me headaches. So far I'm not aware of any long term damage, but who knows, there's time yet.

You'll be reyt! Apart from the first couple of years when I played on the wing, I played in the back four mainly at full back but in later years at centre back. I am not an expert but I do know that we are all different and things affect us differently, so who knows what the future holds. One thing I did laugh about though was when I fractured my skull for the second time, almost three years ago, the specialist told me that I now had some weak areas in my skull -----I don't think that I needed to be a rocket scientist to realise that.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

I cannot believe these new much lighter synthetic balls can cause the sort of damage those swathed in dubbin cannonballs could though.

Surely?

I was about 10 and playing for Baxenden St Johns in a school match and must have headed the ball a few times because when I got home my Ma asked how on earth had I got those stitches?

Me being totally flummoxed looked in the mirror and I must have got smacked on the forehead with those heavy stitches that laced the bag into the leather. I still chuckle at the memory of mum thinking I'd be in Accy Vic A & E and not heading a football.

[Supersub6]

I cannot believe these new much lighter synthetic balls can cause the sort of damage those swathed in dubbin cannonballs could though.

Surely?

I was about 10 and playing for Baxenden St Johns in a school match and must have headed the ball a few times because when I got home my Ma asked how on earth had I got those stitches?

Me being totally flummoxed looked in the mirror and I must have got smacked on the forehead with those heavy stitches that laced the bag into the leather. I still chuckle at the memory of mum thinking I'd be in Accy Vic A & E and not heading a football.

Those were the days BT. I think that it was getting on for the mid-60s before I played with one of the 'new' balls.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Those were the days BT. I think that it was getting on for the mid-60s before I played with one of the 'new' balls.

First time I played with one I thought my right foot had gone bionic. I kicked it and my foot didn't vibrate!