Links between playing football and developing dementia continue to be highlighted
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram and numerous former professional footballers and their families have joined renewed calls for an amendment to the Football Governance Bill to make it a statutory duty to develop a dementia strategy.
Increasing evidence has linked neurodegenerative diseases, including dementia, to playing football (at all levels of the sport). The campaign for more support for those affected by neurodegenerative diseases caused by playing football is being spearheaded by, amongst others, Football Families for Justice – you can find out more about their work here: https://www.familiesforjustice.co.uk.
The links between football and dementia were also recognised in the recent New Year’s Honours List with Dawn Astle and Penelope Wilson honoured https://journalofdementiacare.co.uk/new-years-honours-list-2025-recognition-for-leading-figures-in-dementia-care.
You can see a film from David Beckham and read more about the Football Families for Justice campaign via Sky News: https://news.sky.com/story/david-beckham-joins-calls-for-more-support-for-footballers-affected-by-dementia-13286605 and the BBC: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdxnlq0zp5jo
This news comes as another former professional footballer, Dean Windass, has announced he’s been diagnosed with dementia aged 55 https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/43368723/former-hull-city-forward-dean-windass-diagnosed-dementia and the death of Denis Law has been announced https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/man-utd-icon-denis-law-passes-away following him publicly sharing his dementia diagnosis in 2021 https://www.manutd.com/en/news/detail/denis-law-issues-statement-over-alzheimers-and-vascular-dementia-diagnosis.