28-09-2021, 11:02 AM
(28-09-2021, 10:13 AM)Wightblue Wrote: ExG
Yes, wrong terminology on my part, I stand corrected.
There does seem to be a link between players of the ‘heavy’ ball generation and accelerated deterioration mentally.
I heard Dawn Astle speaking on 5Live a few weeks ago in front of the no-heading demonstration game, still utterly convinced that her dad, Jeff, was a victim and, interestingly enough, nobody seems to seriously disagree with her regarding the ‘ old days’.
I have lots of friends (some now deceased) who never kicked a football let alone played the game who fell victim to Alzheimers or something very much like it so it’s an ever present danger (especially to someone of my age). I thought the recent documentary on Jack Charlton was interesting and moving, the decline of such a strong character was poignant and seemingly unstoppable.
We must hope that medical science can first find a way to arrest the deterioration and then go on to find a cure.
Wight, I agree that there appears to be a link between head trauma caused by repeated blows to the head (through heading the ball, being punched or whatever) and cognitive decline. As you say, the old heavy balls may have been a factor, and players who headed the ball more often (like Jeff Astle) are a good example of that.
The trouble is, this is an area where more research is needed. I’ve known a few people who developed dementia and the medical profession often can’t diagnose which dementia is involved until after death. My old mum was a good example and a post mortem was needed to identify the cause. I can confirm that she was not a frequent header of the ball
![Smile Smile](https://forum.truebluearmy.com/images/smilies/smile.png)
As you say, we can but hope that medical science can come up with some solutions. I used to head the ball a lot, have had the odd punch to the bonce and landed on it once or twice, so I approach my latter years with some trepidation.
In the meantime beer is the only answer (what do the medical professionals know?
![Smile Smile](https://forum.truebluearmy.com/images/smilies/smile.png)