England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles died with a brain condition caused by repeatedly heading a football, a coroner has ruled. Stiles, 78, a former Manchester United footballer and 1966 World Cup winner, died with severe dementia and had headed an estimated 140,000 footballs during his career, Stockport Coroner’s Court heard during the inquest into his death.
Expert analysis of his brain indicated that his severe dementia was a result of Alzheimer's disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition associated with head trauma from heading a ball. Neuro-pathology expert Dr. Daniel Du Plessis testified that he was convinced Stiles' repeated heading of the ball had caused his CTE.
Stiles, a tough-tackling defensive midfielder, earned 28 caps for England and played nearly 400 times for Manchester United. He passed away in a care home on October 30, 2020, having been left bed-bound by his dementia.
His family had raised the possibility of CTE contributing to his death in January 2024, prompting Dr. Du Plessis to examine brain tissue samples. Stiles' family has been campaigning for football authorities to increase support for former players coping with injuries sustained during their careers. His son John has previously stated that football had 'killed' his father.
During the inquest, John Stiles estimated that his father headed the ball approximately 40 times a day, five days a week, over a 17-year career, calculating a conservative estimate of 136,000 headers. He also noted that footballs during his father's playing days weighed around 16 ounces and would become heavier when wet.
Studies indicate that heading even a modern football can deliver an impact equivalent to about 80% of a boxer's punch. Stiles' family began noticing his memory issues and repetitive speech in his late 50s and early 60s. In 2010, he sold his World Cup winner's medal to help fund his care as his mental struggles progressed, leading to increased anxiety and a sense of dread.
John Stiles leads the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) group, which urges football authorities to provide more assistance to former players. He is among dozens of former footballers and their families pursuing legal action against football associations, claiming negligence and breach of duty of care. Lawyers for these players assert that football bodies were aware or should have been aware for decades that repeatedly heading a ball was likely to cause brain injuries.
In March, lawyers for the Football Association stated in the High Court that it had not been scientifically established that heading a ball or occasional concussions can lead to permanent brain damage. This assertion follows an inquest in January into the death of ex-Scotland and Manchester United defender Gordon McQueen, which found that heading the ball was likely a contributing factor to a brain injury that played a role in his death. McQueen was also diagnosed with CTE.
Hayley McQueen, Gordon McQueen’s daughter, noted that England's 1966 World Cup-winning team had been significantly affected by neurodegenerative diseases. A 2019 study, co-funded by the FA and the Professional Footballers’ Association, found that footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from neurodegenerative diseases than the general population of the same age. The FA is planning to phase out all heading in youth football up to under-11s by 2026.