Having neurodegenerative disease formally recognised would allow former players to make a claim for industrial injuries disablement benefit, as is the case with more than 70 other diseases included in the scheme.
Then in August 2021, following even more research, Dr Willie Stewart of University of Glasgow, who leads the landmark Field study, says the game must ask whether the aspect of heading the ball is “absolutely necessary”, and that football, he said, should now come with a health warning attached.
The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention explains that dementia refers to a general term that covers the impaired ability to remember, think, or make decisions that interferes with doing everyday activities. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia and typically begins with people forgetting about recent conversations or events.
The NHS warns that memory loss can be annoying if it happens occasionally, but if it’s affecting your daily life, or it’s worrying you, or someone you know, you should get help from a GP.