Players from Joe Kinnear’s generation have been “let down” by football authorities when it comes to the risk of dementia, according to his daughter, Russ Doffman. Kinnear, who played for Tottenham Hotspur, was diagnosed with the degenerative brain disease in 2015 and passed away earlier this year at the age of 77. Doffman believes that her father’s participation in heading drills, which involved using a heavy leather ball, may have caused damage to his brain over the years. The Kinnear family is now part of a legal action against governing bodies in football, seeking justice for players and support for those still living with dementia.
Doffman is also calling for better education for young players about the risks of head injuries in football. She believes that the football industry should do more to assist the families of former players with the financial costs of care. The claimants in the case argue that organizations such as Ifab, the Football Association, the English Football League, and the Football Association of Wales were negligent in failing to protect players from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and sub-concussive blows.
Doffman describes her father’s decline as “heartbreaking.” She noticed changes in his mood and personality after his diagnosis. Eventually, Kinnear had to be moved into a care home. While he did not openly attribute his dementia to heading the ball, Doffman believes he may have been in denial, as were many others at the time.
Research commissioned by the Football Association last year revealed that former professional footballers are almost three and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population. In response to these findings, the FA has introduced a new rule to phase out deliberate heading in grassroots youth matches at under-11 level and below across England. While Doffman welcomes this move, she believes that more needs to be done to educate young players about the potential risks.
Doffman emphasizes that regardless of whether a causal link between football and dementia is acknowledged, the football industry has a duty of care towards players diagnosed with brain diseases. She explains that her family applied for financial assistance from a support fund to help with the cost of her father’s care but received little support. Doffman believes that many families feel neglected during their time of need.
Last year, the Professional Footballers’ Association and the Premier League launched a brain health fund to assist former players and their families affected by dementia and other neurodegenerative conditions. The fund has provided financial support to over 70 families, and additional funding has been set aside for the next season. The PFA also offers practical and emotional support to more than 200 families. They encourage more individuals to come forward.
Although the football authorities cannot comment on ongoing legal proceedings, they have expressed their commitment to player welfare. The FA plays a leading role in improving the safety of the game and supports multiple research projects in this area.
The legal claim brought by the players or their families, including the family of Nobby Stiles, who passed away last year, has been ongoing for two years. Stiles, a member of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a form of dementia believed to be caused by repeated blows.