Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) isn’t only caused by concussive episodes but also sub-concussive blows, as was seen with former England and West Bromwich Albion striker Jeff Astle. Astle died aged 59 in 2002 from degenerative brain disease.
His death was recorded as an industrial injury as a result of heading old leather footballs. In 2014, a Justice for Jeff campaign was launched, which called for an independent inquiry into a possible link between playing football and degenerative brain disease.
Other footballers’ deaths have also been reviewed as a result of this finding, particularly that of former Tottenham Hotspur captain Danny Blanchflower, who died of Alzheimer’s aged 67 in 1993. If a link between degenerative brain disease and heading old fashioned footballs is discovered and more deaths are connected, could we see a National Football League (NFL)-style lawsuit hit football?
