Manchester coroner rules Nobby Stiles’ death linked to heading footballs
Coroner’s Ruling on Stiles’ Death
A coroner has determined that Nobby Stiles, the England World Cup winner and former Manchester United midfielder, died with a brain condition caused by repeatedly heading a football. The ruling follows an inquest into Stiles’ death, who passed away in 2020 at the age of 78.
Alison Mutch, the senior coroner for South Manchester, stated that a brain condition resulting from repeated heading of a football contributed to Stiles’ death. Expert analysis of Stiles’ brain revealed that his severe dementia was due to both Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition associated with head trauma from heading a ball.
Neuropathology expert Dr Daniel Du Plessis testified that he was convinced Stiles’ extensive heading of the football caused his CTE. When asked by Coroner Mutch if repeated heading was the cause of his CTE, Dr Du Plessis confirmed, “Yes.”
Family’s Campaign and Legacy
Stiles’ family has actively campaigned for football authorities to provide more support to former players who suffer injuries they attribute to their playing careers. His son, John Stiles, has previously stated that football “killed” his father. John Stiles leads the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) group, which advocates for greater action from football authorities for ex-players.
During the inquest, John Stiles described his father as a humble man who prioritised his family. He noted that despite his achievements, including being a World Cup winner, his father “never talked, he never bragged” about them. John Stiles estimated his father headed the ball around 40 times a day, five days a week, over a 17-year career, calculating a conservative estimate of 136,000 to 140,000 headers in total.
He also highlighted that footballs during his father’s playing era weighed approximately 16 ounces and would become heavier when wet. While modern balls no longer absorb water, studies suggest that heading even a contemporary ball is comparable to about 80 per cent of the impact of a boxer’s punch.
Wider Implications for Football
Stiles, born Norbert Stiles in Collyhurst, Manchester, was a tough-tackling defensive midfielder who earned 28 caps for England and made nearly 400 appearances for Manchester United. He is fondly remembered for his victory jig at the 1966 World Cup final, clutching the Jules Rimet trophy in one hand and his false teeth in the other.
In his late fifties and early sixties, Stiles began experiencing memory issues and repetition. By 2010, he sold his World Cup winner’s medals to fund his care as his mental struggles intensified, leading to increased anxiety and a profound sense of dread. John Stiles recounted that his father was “frightened” by his condition.
The inquest into Stiles’ death follows a similar finding in January regarding Gordon McQueen, an ex-Scotland, Manchester United, and Leeds United defender. The inquest concluded that heading the ball was “likely” to have contributed to a brain injury that was a factor in McQueen’s death, who was also diagnosed with CTE.
Dozens of former footballers and their families, including Stiles’, are currently suing the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League. They allege negligence and a breach of duty of care towards former players, arguing that football bodies knew, or should have known, for decades that repeated heading of a ball could cause brain injuries.
However, lawyers for the FA stated in March that it has “not been established by science” that heading a ball or “occasional” concussion can lead to permanent brain damage. A 2019 study, co-funded by the FA and the Professional Footballers’ Association, found that footballers were three and a half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the general population. The FA is phasing out all heading in youth football up to under-11s by 2026.
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Source: theguardian.com
Isla Hartley is a Sports Reporter at NewsUK. She covered the British summer of sport from Wimbledon to the Test grounds. She focuses on tennis, cricket and athletics and is known for clear, deadline-driven reporting. She holds a degree in Sports Studies from the University of Stirling and completed an NCTJ diploma. Now based in Glasgow, she runs half-marathons and follows Scottish athletics. “The overlooked athlete usually has the better story.”
