England World Cup hero Nobby Stiles died with brain injury caused by heading the ball, coroner rules

Nobby Stiles , the revered 1966 England World Cup winner, died from a brain condition directly caused by repeatedly heading a football, a coroner has concluded. The ruling follows an inquest into the death of the former Manchester United midfielder, who passed away almost six years ago aged 78, suffering from severe dementia . Stockport Coroner’s Court heard that Stiles had headed a football an estimated 140,000 times throughout his illustrious career. Expert analysis of his brain revealed that his severe dementia was a result of both Alzheimer’s disease and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition strongly linked to head trauma from heading a ball. Neuro-pathology expert Dr Daniel Du Plessis told the court, "I’m quite convinced his heading the football that many times has caused his CTE." When Senior Coroner for South Manchester, Alison Mutch, asked for clarification, "You are saying repeated heading of the ball is the cause of his CTE?", Dr Du Plessis unequivocally replied, "Yes." Stiles passed away at the age of 78 nearly six years ago (PA Wire) Norbert "Nobby" Stiles, born in Collyhurst, Manchester in 1942, was renowned as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder. He earned 28 caps for England and made nearly 400 appearances for Manchester United. Stiles, who resided in Stretford, south Manchester, died in a care home on 30 October 2020, having been left bed-bound by his advanced dementia. In January 2024, his family raised the possibility of CTE contributing to his death, prompting Dr Du Plessis to examine brain tissue samples to reach his medical conclusions. Stiles’ family has been actively campaigning for football authorities to provide greater support to former players suffering from injuries they attribute to their playing days. Stiles’ son, John, has previously stated that football had "killed" his father. During the hearing, Mr Stiles reflected on his father’s character: "My dad was very humble, he just happened to have achieved quite a lot. It never really changed him. If you went into his house, you would never know he was a footballer. He was very much a family man, football was left at the door. The family was always the first priority." Coroner Ms Mutch noted the poignancy of the conversation, but Mr Stiles emphasised that his father "never talked, he never bragged" about being a World Cup winner. He added: "He was proud of it but we were always much more proud of the father he was than the footballer." Mr Stiles told the court that his father, who joined Manchester United as an apprentice aged 15 in 1957, adored the club and the Busby Babes. He estimated that his father headed the ball around 40 times a day, five days a week, over a 17-year career, calculating a "conservative" estimate of 136,000 headers in total. John Stiles previously said football ‘killed’ his father (Peter Byrne/PA) (PA Archive) He also highlighted that footballs during his father’s era weighed approximately 16 ounces and became significantly heavier when wet. While modern balls no longer absorb water, studies indicate that heading even a contemporary ball is equivalent to about 80 per cent of the impact of a boxer’s punch. Mr Stiles recounted how, in his late 50s and early 60s, his father began forgetting things and repeating himself. By 2010, he sold his winning medals to fund his care as his mental struggles intensified, leading to increasing anxiety and a profound sense of dread. "To be honest with you, he was frightened," Mr Stiles said of his father. John Stiles now leads the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) group, advocating for greater action from football authorities for ex-players. He is among dozens of former footballers and their families currently suing the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League, alleging negligence and a breach of their duty of care towards former players. Lawyers representing the claimants argue that football bodies knew, or should have known, for decades that repeatedly heading a ball in training and matches was likely to cause brain injuries. However, in March this year, lawyers for the FA told the High Court that it has "not been established by science" that heading a ball or "occasional" concussion can lead to permanent brain damage. Stiles is still fondly remembered at Old Trafford (PA Wire) The inquest into the death of former Scotland, Manchester United, and Leeds defender Gordon McQueen, who died aged 70, similarly concluded in January that heading the ball was "likely" to have contributed to a brain injury that factored in his death. McQueen was also diagnosed with CTE. His daughter, TV presenter Hayley McQueen, remarked that England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team had been "pretty much wiped out" by neurodegenerative disease. 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 of neurodegenerative disease than age-matched members of the general population. The FA is currently phasing out all heading in youth football up to under-11s by 2026.