Calls for heading to be banned in football has intensified as more research and victims have been found from performing this ‘dangerous’ action.
Footballers are 3.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general public in the future, according to a field study conducted by DR. Willie Stewart. Five of the infamous 1966 World Cup winning team have now been diagnosed with a neurodegenerative disease (ND). Has the time finally come to take a more serious stance in preventing footballers suffering from a ND in the future?
With the recent research and knowledge of the consequences about heading coming to light, many worried parents are trying to avoid their children from heading in football. Mary Merheim, whose job is to provide support for families suffering with dementia, questions the importance of this action and says: “I don’t think if you took heading out of football completely that it would change the sport significantly – it’s called football for a reason”.
Due to her job, Merheim is a first-hand witness to the impact that dementia can have on a person and their family, and is left bewildered by the lack of attention given to dementia: “If there was a connection between football and cancer, we would be having a different conversation,” Merheim explains. “I don’t understand why dementia is not seen as a big issue.”
Recently, the Football Association announced they will ban heading at youth football in training sessions, and then gradually increase practice as they get older. However, youths will still be allowed to head in match situations. Merheim, when asked if she would stop her future grandchildren from heading, replied with: “I would, definitely.”
There are arguments that this was an issue of the past, as the balls were known to be harder than they are compared to the modern game. However, in the modern game, the ball reaches much higher speeds causing greater impact on the head.
Post graduate research student, Jake Ashton, masterminded a study involving 30 recreational male footballers who undertook 20 consecutive headers using a softer ball compared to a harder one.
A selection of neuropsychological tests were completed immediately before and after to identify any changes that the heading may have caused. Ashton assessed two aspects of a working memory test: digit working memory and spatial working memory. These are cognitive tests to see if participants can remember certain sequences and different locations in a short space of time.
“The results stayed the same before and after the headers for the spatial working memory test but the participants who used the hard ball, had a decline in their results in the digit working memory,” Martin explains. This shows that using a harder ball does have an adverse effect on players a concept that players in the past had to deal with.
Ex footballers and their families have now attempted to seek legal advice to see if they could make claims against their former clubs, due to the severity of their dementia for their age.
Ipek Tugcu, a brain injury solicitor, says: “Most of these players are in their 50’s and cannot live independently – requiring full time care which is expensive.” Therefore, families believe they are entitled to some compensation as they suspect there is a correlation between their dementia and the repeated heading of footballs.
Tugcu explains: “Being successful in a claim has proven difficult as pinpointing ND with just football is not appropriate. There may be many other causes, hence why there has not been any successful claims thus far.”
Tugcu disputes that all heading should be banned however, “research indicates that practicing is the issue and that’s where the limitations should come into place.” It is obvious that heading is a key component in football – either whilst defending or scoring, but repetitive impacts in training can lead to problems further down the line.
For there to be change in the future of football, major clubs need to bring more awareness to the topic and take a stance against heading. Tugcu says: “There’s no point only one club enforcing it as they will fall behind of their competitors and will be at a disadvantage – it has to be a collective effort.”
What does heading do to the brain? Dr Michael Grey, a rehbilliation neuroscientist says: “It stretches the axons of the nerves in the brain and when they are stretched too far, the nerves die by a process called Wallerian degeneration”.
Grey has been campaigning hard to raise awareness for the links between football and dementia. A study conducted by Grey called the “Scores Project” contains 35 ex professionals to identify any changes to the brain. There have been a few issues trying to obtain a study as no female footballers have come forward, and Grey believes this may be due to a lack of assistance from the Football Association. There are fears that “women who play football could be more affected by dementia than men,” Grey states.
“For the children’s game, heading should definitely be banned,” says Grey – who was in complete agreement with Tugku and Merheim. A lot of research has been put in by doctors to show that the children’s brain has less neuroprotection than an adult’s brain. “If you have weak neck muscles like a child does with a big head, you’ll create a bobblehead effect leading to more damage to the brain”, Grey explains.
In order to make the game as safe as possible for aspiring footballers, questions arise as to if governing bodies who have the legal and moral duty, will take action to educate future players.