CTE in football: What happens next with the head after Gordon McQueen’s ruling?

Families of footballers who have died from neurodegenerative conditions and charities have come together for many years to call for a reduction in heading in football.

They welcomed the guidelines when they were introduced in England, Wales and Scotland, but believe they are currently being largely ignored.

Dr Judith Gates, founder of Head Safe Football and widow of former Middlesbrough defender Bill Gates, who died after suffering from CTE, said: “The FA guidelines are there but coaches don’t know them.”

“We’ve worked with 44 clubs in the Premier League and only 1% know about it, and that’s just a professional game.

“This starts in youth, so we need to nurture young minds.”

One of the main points campaigners have made so far is that they are not seeking to remove headings from football, or fundamentally change the way the game is played, but rather seek to reduce the amount of heading in training in order to reduce the frequency of headers that are likely to cause damage.

“I’m a sports broadcaster and I love it,” McQueen’s daughter Hayley, a Sky Sports presenter, said outside court. “People say: ‘Oh, you’ve ruined the game if you head it out.’ But we can still continue to head kicks in football, but it’s safer to do so.”

“Reducing exposure as much as possible at elite level, and reducing it as much as possible in training, is a very good starting point,” Professor Stewart added.

Hayley and her sister Anna Forbes also insisted that more changes needed to be made regarding the care of former players with neurodegenerative diseases and their families.

They believe the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) should play a bigger role.

“I emailed the ATP begging for help when my dad was at his lowest point and we were looking for respite care,” Hayley McQueen explained.

“That email was left unanswered. After three chases, they sent me on a wild goose chase for support where they offered something called Nurse Admiral, which was a Zoom call with a nurse to tell me about government support we had access to — which, by the way, didn’t exist.”

“My parents’ life savings were depleted while searching for private care for my parents, and we relied on charities for temporary care. The Mental Health Society gave us nothing – no support at all.”

The FA said: “There is a continuing need for a collective response, from football and beyond, to ensure appropriate recognition and support for former players with neurodegenerative diseases, and their families.”

Hayley McQueen also called on football clubs to pay for annual brain scans of current players.

“I think there is an epidemic at the moment,” she told Times Radio. “I talk to a lot of wives, daughters and sons of players, who are terrified, and are already showing signs and don’t know what to do about it.

“If they had known the risks when they played, they probably would have made a big decision not to head the ball as much.

“If you carry out a medical examination for a footballer at the beginning of every season, as if you were to undergo a complete medical examination, why not? There is enough money in football.”

No new measures have been announced, but following McQueen’s sentencing on Monday, several football authorities issued statements insisting they were committed to ensuring the safety of players.

The FA said: “Although any association between heading football and brain health outcomes in later life remains an area of ​​ongoing scientific and medical research and debate, we continue to play a leading role in reviewing and improving the safety of our game alongside all stakeholders and international governing bodies.”

The Scottish Football Association added: “We will continue to monitor guidance based on cutting-edge research as part of the FA’s commitment to ensuring the national game is a safe and enjoyable environment for all players.”