The Football Association (FA) has come under fire after attempting to prevent a coroner from investigating the link between football and the death of a former professional player with dementia, according to The Athletic.
Former Middlesbrough defender Bill Gates passed away last October at the age of 79 following a long battle with a degenerative brain disease. An autopsy revealed he suffered from severe chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition linked to repeated head impacts.
Senior coroner Jeremy Chipperfield initially wanted to investigate whether Gates’ death was caused by trauma sustained during his football career. However, the FA intervened, arguing that such an investigation was “not in the public interest.”
The FA’s stance has been widely criticised, with many accusing the governing body of attempting to protect its interests rather than seeking the truth.
The Gates family expressed their disappointment, stating that they hoped the FA would share their desire for a thorough investigation.
The incident raises further questions about the FA’s handling of the growing number of cases of former footballers suffering from dementia.
The link between head injuries and the condition has become increasingly apparent, but the FA has been criticised for its slow response to the issue.
In 2019, experts at Glasgow University postulated that former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population.
Another study of male footballers in Sweden, over many years, found they were one and a half times more likely to develop dementia than the general population.
Rather than attempt to block dementia investigations, the FA needs to put more effort into understanding and addressing the issue of head injuries in football.
The FA should invest in studies to better understand the long-term effects of head injuries and how to prevent them. They must ensure that players who suffer head injuries are properly assessed and treated and that they do not return to play too soon.
A more recent study by the University of Nottingham proves beyond doubt the dangers of heading a ball. The FA could collaborate with medical experts, player unions, and other governing bodies to develop a well-thought-out approach to addressing the issue of headers in the game.
The FA is trialling the removal of heading at all age groups under 12, but more needs to be done.
