Fifteen years after first promising to investigate
a possible link between football and early on-set dementia, the FA and PFA's
tender process for a potentially life-saving study investigating dementia among
former players has been narrowed down to two prospective groups.
Fifteen years after Jeff Astle died aged 59 from —
according to a coroner's report — early on-set dementia caused by years of
heading footballs, finally there appears to be some progress.
Who knows how many former players have died
needlessly in care homes or hospitals around the country as a result of the
'industrial disease' many believe to be contact sport's hidden shame?
I was told last week that the FA and PFA will
reveal plans for a new study into the reportedly high incidence of dementia in
former players 'by the end of this year'.
In February this year, the FA said they were
seeking applications for a study into neurodegenerative disease in former
players, three years after former FA chairman Greg Dyke apologised for his
organisation's failure to deliver potentially life-saving research following
the death of former England striker Astle in 2002.
Astle was posthumously diagnosed with Chronic
Traumatic Encephalopathy, also found in former NFL players and boxers. His
family established the Jeff Astle Foundation in 2015 after The Mail on Sunday
revealed research promised after his death was never completed.
With so many broken promises over the years, there
is scepticism among campaigners over sport's governing bodies willingness to
deliver research. Some believe sport's governing bodies have too much to lose
by seriously investigating the problem.
'We are cautiously optimistic that the FA finally
appear to taking this issue seriously,' Astle's daughter Dawn told The Mail on
Sunday. 'We have been let down too many times in the past to have complete
trust in the process.'
SOURCE: MailOnline, Sam Peters
Lets hope that they are able to get some answers on this issue
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