Stiles' son 'disgusted' over FA brain injury claim

Anger at FA over football brain injury claim22 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMarc WaddingtonNorth WestPA MediaNobby Stiles died having suffered from brain injuries believed to be linked to his footballing careerThe son of former Manchester United and England player Nobby Stiles has said he is "disgusted" that the Football Association has apparently rejected a link between heading the ball and brain injuries.John Stiles, who set up Football Families for Justice, has been campaigning for the FA to provide financial support to families of players who suffered dementia and neurodegenerative diseases.The campaign group's legal team has now seen a leaked 41-page High Court claim defence by the FA, in which a series of controversial claims are said to have been made – including that it should not owe a general duty of care to footballers.The FA has not confirmed or denied the contents of the defence, but said the link between "heading in football and long-term brain health remains the subject of ongoing scientific and medical research".Stiles, who played for Manchester United between 1960 and 1971 and was part of England's World Cup-winning team in 1966, suffered from advanced dementia before his death in 2020 at 78.He donated his brain to medical research into the potential link between heading and brain injuries.'Evidence'"With the evidence that we've got with Dad's brain and all the other evidence that's all over the world now, I think it has to faced up to. We've been fighting now for five years since dad died to try and get help," Stiles said. Stiles's teammate Sir Bobby Charlton was also diagnosed with dementia before his death. And, in January a senior coroner ruled repeatedly that heading footballs is likely to have contributed to the brain disease that was a factor in the death of Manchester United player Gordon McQueen. Last week, former Blackburn coach and player Tony Park...