Football authorities in England could soon be compelled to contribute to the care costs of former players suffering from dementia and other brain conditions linked to heading footballs, under new proposals being prepared in Parliament.
Labour MP Chris Evans has launched a fierce attack on the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA), describing its historical handling of the issue as “absolutely disgraceful”. He, along with other campaigners, is now seeking to amend the Football Governance Bill to create an industry-funded compensation and care scheme for retired players whose neurological illnesses are believed to have been caused by playing the sport.
The push follows mounting concern that existing support – such as the Brain Health Fund established in 2023 by the PFA with backing from the Premier League – is inadequate. Despite claims that the fund has helped 121 families with costs such as home adaptations and care fees, many believe it falls far short of what is needed.
“This is an industrial injuries issue,” said Mr Evans, MP for Caerphilly. “Just like in mining, where Parliament had to step in, football must also face up to its responsibilities.”
The Football Governance Bill is intended to introduce an independent regulator to oversee the top five tiers of the men’s game in England. But Evans hopes to include new clauses requiring competition organisers – such as the FA and Premier League – to fund long-term care for ex-players affected by brain injuries, with contributions drawn from broadcast revenues.
The calls are backed by prominent figures including Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region Mayor Steve Rotheram, both of whom are helping to draft the proposed amendments.
“The game is in denial,” Burnham told a recent Parliamentary event. “It cannot go on like this. It’s shameful that players who brought so much joy and pride to this country are now left without proper care.”
The emotional meeting featured contributions from World Cup winner Sir Geoff Hurst, ex-England manager Kevin Keegan, and former Premier League players Chris Sutton and David May. Sutton, whose father Mike died of dementia in 2020, said: “Is it really too much to ask for the industry to look after its own?”
The campaign is fuelled by powerful statistics. The 2019 FIELD study – co-funded by the FA and PFA – found that professional footballers were 3.5 times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than their peers. A follow-up study in 2023 confirmed that the increased risk could not be attributed to lifestyle or general health.
High-profile footballers from England’s 1966 World Cup-winning side – including Jack Charlton, Bobby Charlton, Martin Peters, Ray Wilson and Nobby Stiles – all died with dementia. Many believe their conditions were exacerbated by the repeated heading of heavy leather footballs, a common feature of the game in their era.
John Stiles, son of Nobby Stiles, chaired last week’s event and expressed frustration at the industry’s inaction: “How can it be right that heroes like Tony Parkes and Chris Nicholl are denied proper care while football is rolling in money?”
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The proposed amendments would create a mandatory, industry-wide scheme to provide financial support for care, reducing reliance on families or the NHS. One clause specifically states that the burden should not fall on the public purse.
Mr Evans added: “I worry when I see my eight-year-old son heading a football. We must take this seriously. And if football leads the way in dementia research, it could benefit wider society too.”
The FA responded, stating it is continuing to invest in research and safety initiatives. The EFL echoed this, citing changes such as concussion substitutes and updated training guidelines.
However, the PFA and Premier League declined to comment on the proposals – a silence campaigners say is indicative of the sport’s reluctance to face its past.
As Parliament prepares to debate the Football Governance Bill, the battle for justice for football’s forgotten heroes is far from over.
