[Football] Dementia in football: Ex-players three and a half times more likely to die of condition

Eeyore · Oct 21, 2019

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50124102

Interesting article. Obviously this was never a subject of debate in years gone. The Astle family have done much good bringing this to light.

Is there anything that can realistically be done though ?

GT49er · Oct 21, 2019

Mustafa said:
Interestingly, football regulations on the weight of the football haven't changed much since the thirties.

So at the start of the match, a football from the 30's to the 80's would have weighed the same as a modern football.

The difference is that the older materials would adsorb water, whereas modern footballs don't.

It would be interesting to know how much heavier an old football would weigh when wet, and the effect that had on brain trauma... or whether repeated heading of a football of any weight can cause significant damage to the brain.

Footballs still the same weight? - I find that amazing. Watching football back in the 60s and 70s (when it was dry - I accept that wet balls were heavier) goal kicks, for example, didn't go nearly as far as they do in the 21st. century (well, before they started farting around in the penalty area with them!) Surely they must be lighter now!

blue-shifted · Oct 21, 2019

I hate to think what will happen when they do a study like this in rugby in years to come, given the massive blows to the head many of them are regularly taking

Today’s footballers, I suspect will be in the normal range. A combination of better balls and more play on the ground.

portlock seagull · Oct 21, 2019

blue-shifted said:
I hate to think what will happen when they do a study like this in rugby in years to come, given the massive blows to the head many of them are regularly taking

Today’s footballers, I suspect will be in the normal range. A combination of better balls and more play on the ground.

Ban Boxing too. And archery. Could take someone’s eye out. Just ask Harold

blue-shifted · Oct 21, 2019

portlock seagull said:
Ban Boxing too. And archery. Could take someone’s eye out. Just ask Harold

Yeh, because I specifically said Rugby should be banned.

portlock seagull · Oct 21, 2019

blue-shifted said:
Yeh, because I specifically said Rugby should be banned.

I wasn’t being flippant. Make a case to ban many sports. Or we could just accept the worlds a dangerous place and get on with things.

blue-shifted · Oct 21, 2019

Or you could just do what is necessary to mitigate the risks. So longer bans for head contact in Rugby, better ball technology in football, (combined with heading bans for very young kids in schools and clubs, or better give them balls which are weighted proportionately to a child's weight and don't bounce much), refs to stop bouts much earlier in boxing. Again an example, Fury did brilliantly to come back from being sparko against Wilder and it's great TV etc, but if someone loses consciousness even momentarily, the bigger picture is surely stop the fight. Is it 4 who've died this year?

It's 2019 now and these sporting organisations are rightly looking at the science now available and surely looking at the class action lawsuits if they aren't doing anything to reduce risk

My lad does football, rugby whatever sport he can, so I personally wouldn't be too impressed if the organisations took your attitude that the world is dangerous and they should just get on with it

drew · Oct 21, 2019

From what I heard, this study was done on a selection of Scottish footballers so was any analysis of those involved done to establish if they were regular givers or receivers of the 'Glasgow handshake'? Surely that would have a greater effect on the brain!

dsr-burnley · Oct 21, 2019

That BBC report says that the study was of 7,000+ male footballers compared with the general population. I would like it to be clearer whether they are talking about the general male population as opposed to the general male + female population - you would have to assume the former, but it would be nice to know for sure.

Drumstick · Oct 22, 2019

Alan Shearer did a documentary a few months back on BBC iPlayer. Might still be on there if you haven’t seen it.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Publius Ovidius · Oct 22, 2019

Heading the ball and dementia

Good morning

With what looks like an issue that seems to be gathering speed, what are your opinions regarding “ heading” the ball in football.

With Jeff Astle’s premature death which looks like heading the ball was a factor as reported, so you think the authorities will be looking at how to mitigate this risk? We were talking about it at work and if it was brought in that heading the ball would be outlawed, the game would be fundamentally changed from the defence right through to the attack.

American football and rugby is going down the line of banning tackles that are deemed to be above the neck line, in the US with the threat of lawsuits hanging over the teams and law makers. Is that going to be something football will look at doing, I.e no contact with the head and ball at all?

Interesting times.

Is it PotG? · Oct 22, 2019

https://www.northstandchat.com/showthread.php?376011-Dementia-in-football-Ex-players-three-and-a-half-times-more-likely-to-die-of-condition

Publius Ovidius · Oct 22, 2019

Ahaha..didn’t see that, must have dropped off the first page.

As you were.

portlock seagull · Oct 22, 2019

We’d better hurry up and win something Major before footballs banned. Saying that, theres really no need for it anymore what with CGI and gaming. That’s the future and think of the money which is the only thing that counts. All those savings on players wages and stadiums. And no contesting VAR because that can be built into play to ensure nothing’s contestable. Looking forward to Football 2030 and bragging about my teams bitcoin worth and % of fans we have in Pacific rim. Should be mega!

Palacefinder General · Oct 22, 2019

The balls of the Astle era were a lot more solid, but every time I witness a Duffy or Dunk big headed clearance I’m always thinking “That can’t be good”. Maybe the back 3 or 4 could wear an extra padded Petr Cech head protector in blue and white stripes.

Diablo · Oct 22, 2019

There have been studies to show that just about everything is bad for health. Certainly most sports put undue strain on various body parts. It surely needs to be an individuals choice to play Football/Rugby/Skiing etc where there will be an element of risk of physical Damage. Some of these doom merchants would probably like to ban most leisure pursuits.

Swansman · Oct 22, 2019

In Italy they have made a lot of research about ALS (MND) and football. If I remember it correctly they are not 100% sure its about the headers. One theory is that is about the fertilizers used on training & playing pitches or the injections of cortisone and other pain relievers.

Palacefinder General · Oct 22, 2019

Swansman said:
In Italy they have made a lot of research about ALS (MND) and football. If I remember it correctly they are not 100% sure its about the headers. One theory is that is about the fertilizers used on training & playing pitches or the injections of cortisone and other pain relievers.

Fertilisers causing Lou Gehrig’s Disease! WTF!?!?!

timbha · Oct 22, 2019

(Top) Footballers tend to live longer than non footballers because of their diet, fitness, medical monitoring, wealth, etc so instead of heart related, etc conditions causing death, dementia is more likely to

wellquickwoody · Oct 22, 2019

blue-shifted said:
Or you could just do what is necessary to mitigate the risks. So longer bans for head contact in Rugby, better ball technology in football, (combined with heading bans for very young kids in schools and clubs, or better give them balls which are weighted proportionately to a child's weight and don't bounce much), refs to stop bouts much earlier in boxing. Again an example, Fury did brilliantly to come back from being sparko against Wilder and it's great TV etc, but if someone loses consciousness even momentarily, the bigger picture is surely stop the fight. Is it 4 who've died this year?

It's 2019 now and these sporting organisations are rightly looking at the science now available and surely looking at the class action lawsuits if they aren't doing anything to reduce risk

My lad does football, rugby whatever sport he can, so I personally wouldn't be too impressed if the organisations took your attitude that the world is dangerous and they should just get on with it

Why is it wrong for people to decide to take a risk? Boxers know when getting into the ring that they are going to take head impacts, they may get knocked unconscious. I wouldn’t choose to do it, but they do. Who am I to tell them what they can and cannot do?

Kids not taking part in full contact rugby is fine, not heading a ball in football until later in life might be your choice, but other kids doing it earlier may become more proficient. Could that be limiting your child’s career choices in later life?

I do not for one minute think that people should have to box, or head a football, but who are we to decide for them? Perhaps we should make laws about sailing, mountaineering, parachuting? They are all far more dangerous than heading a football.

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[Football] Dementia in football: Ex-players three and a half times more likely to die of condition

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