Former England captain calls for heading ban to address dementia crisis

By Jeremy Wilson October 3, 2021 â€" 3.03pm

Terry Butcher, the former England captain, has called for heading to be phased out of football to end the dementia crisis that is devastating so many former professionals.

Research has shown that former outfield players are four times more likely to suffer neurodegenerative disease as well as changes in brain function after just a short session of heading practice.

The Football Association has introduced guidance saying professionals should only do 10 “high-force” headers a week in training, but this is not mandatory and there is also concern at the impact of repetitive lower-force headers and serious aerial collisions.

A first trial of a match with limited heading took place at Spennymoor Town last Sunday and Butcher, who was renowned for his aerial prowess and famous for playing on after suffering a serious head injury against Sweden in 1989, now wants change.

“Eventually, I want to see football have no heading, phase heading out - I think you’ve got to do it gradually,” he told the BBC’s “The Sports Desk” podcast.

Brazil’s Neymar, left, and Belgium’s Kevin De Bruyne go for a header.Credit:AP

“You have to be very careful but you have to look at safety, you have to look at families losing their loved ones too early.

“I’d like to see it phased out. It’s something that has been strong, particularly in Britain with the way that we used to play but not so much now. It’s something that we can do without and then it would rule out the trauma of heading a football. It’s football, it’s not ‘headball’, but it is an integral part of it, so we have to accept that.”

He believes that, in about 20 years, football will be played on the ground. “Yes, you have to hit long passes; yes, you have to clear the ball high. But players will have to bring the ball down quicker and better, their control, their awareness has to be better. They have to adapt.”

Butcher also emphasised the collisions that heading indirectly caused as well.

“You have more control on the ground when you’re making tackles, but not in the air,” he said. “I don’t think people realise the importance of this and realise that there’s something in football that can be catastrophic for players in the future. Injuries - broken legs, cruciate, you all recover from them and you recover very well generally. But you’ll never recover from a huge and heavy brain trauma, huge and heavy brain impact.

“It’s a sobering thought and it’s a horrible thought. You’ve only got to look at Raul Jimenez at Wolves to say ‘a fractured skull, well that’s something that should be consigned to history and never happen again’.”

Maradona takes on England's Terry Butcher and Kenny Sansom in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarter final.Credit:Getty

Of his own risk, Butcher said: “Well, it won’t be worrying for me because I won’t particularly know, I would have thought, if it does happen... it’s worrying for the family. We’ve seen pictures of the footballers of past generations where they’ve got dementia and Alzheimer’s and it breaks your heart.”

The FA has called for more research into the issue and pointed to its new heading guidance. “We have made changes to the way the game is played in England,” a spokes- person said. “This includes issuing heading guidance across every level of the football pyramid.

“We are also supporting the trial of concussion substitutes. Collaboration across football’s governing bodies is key in order to better understand this important issue collectively, and we firmly believe that all areas of football should come together for this meaningful cause.”

The Daily Telegraph

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