Given the money in football, this is shameful. How football failed Nobby Stiles, the Manchester United and England icon struggling with dementia. The sport's authorities and Stiles' former club have done precious little to help 'Nobby', whose struggles with Alzheimer’s and dementia are thought to be linked to the game he loves. Nobby Stiles was the man Bobby Charlton described as the forerunner of Roy Keane – a “dog of war” who could be depended upon to shut down danger wherever it materialised on a football pitch. So it is perhaps not surprising that he has faced his toughest fight with resolve and no little humour. Stiles has been doing battle with Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia for 15 years, to the extent that his mind has now become terribly frayed, but at one point amid the struggle to recall who he’d spoken to just five minutes earlier, he grinned at his son, Rob. “I make new friends every day,” he told him. Much more detail on the link... http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...land-pfa-fa-alzheimers-dementia-a7532336.html
It's shameful in the extreme; the business I worked for continues to compensate workers, and sadly widows, long after they've retired should they succumb to certain illnesses. I believe the link to brain injuries from heading the ball is now proven beyond reasonable doubt, this being the case, the FA, FL, FIFA should be looking into setting up compensation funds for those affected.
The richest club in the world has turned its back on former player, a WC winner, a EC winner who lives right on their doorstep.
I read an article about Tommy docherty recently. He said he asked Man U for a couple of tickets for a game and they charged him. While Chelsea, another old club of his give him free tickets whenever he wants them and he gets a Harrods hamper off them every Xmas. Agree the FA should be doing something to help also.
It is really shameful that he hasn't been given help by Man U & the FA. Players like him have been an integral part of a club that has evolved into the club they are today. When you see the riches in the game today, you have to feel for players of his era who didn't get the sort of financial benefits we see today.
He is one of my foootball heroes, lucky to make the cut, no prisoners and made the most of his limited ability. But was he so badly rewarded? Truth is that I think Nobby is a deserving case for help. But when I keep hearing of well rewarded ex-managers / players complaining of not getting freebies, it doesn't make me look upon them kindly. We are constantly told tickets are not overpriced, so buy one like the old lad who buys his own beer where I drink. As for the Chelsea hamper, he (Docherty) should think himself bloody lucky. Spongers, I bloody detest them.
If you watch a film called concussion it's all about this in the NFL. A very interesting film and a subject which has been brushed under the carpet.
About six years ago I had the good fortune to sit next to Nobby at a sportsman's dinner we held where he was the speaker. What a truly nice man. It was strange when I had a photo taken with him he came up to my shoulder. Even stranger was that as a player is opponents all feared him. He was such a gentle human being when we talked. He admitted he very rarely went to Old Trafford as he had fallen out of love with football. He had when younger done some coaching for United + had also worked on the hospitality side. We spoke through the evening for a long time + he hardly mentioned football. We chatted about Manchester + how it had changed since I was at uni there in the late sixties + early seventies. He grew up in an area of Manchester that was bedrock City + he grew up a City supporter. The area he grew up in the area is adjacent to where Shameless was filmed. Lived in the same house in Salford for many years.
Maybe. There is no direct link between heading the ball a lot and dementia. If there was, every centre half and centre forward would be suffering from it. Stiles was a small player and as such he would not have been a prolific header. The City equivalent would have been Billy Wilkinson. Unfortunately dementia/Alzheimer's is far too prevalent generally to directly link it to heading a leather ball. (WC winner Ray Wilson also died of Alzheimer's a couple of years back.) As regards the FA or even the PFA, maybe if they'd known MUFC had done so little to help Nobby, they would have stepped up the plate. There's still time to do so.