A new fund to support players with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases has been established by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the Premier League support former football players and their families who have been affected by dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases.
The fund, which currently has an initial sum of £1 million available for distribution, is a result of a series of meetings between the PFA, the Premier League, the Football Association, and the EFL, following a study commissioned by the PFA and the Football Association that revealed former professional footballers are 3.46 times more likely to suffer from neurodegenerative diseases compared to non-players.
The study also found that 2.8% of retired professional footballers reported being medically diagnosed with dementia and other neurodegenerative diseases, compared to 0.9% of non-players.
PFA chief executive Maheta Molango has emphasized that the fund should be “a football-wide responsibility”, and the ultimate goal is to establish a charity supported by all four key stakeholders in English football to replace the fund in the longer term.
The charity will be a “longer-term vehicle for support”, aimed at providing financial assistance to former players and their families who need it the most.
Former footballers who have been members of the PFA and have a diagnosed neurodegenerative disease will be eligible to apply for financial support from the fund.
Claims will be assessed by a new independent panel made up of experts in neurology, nursing, and social care.
The fund has been welcomed by the Premier League, with its chief executive Richard Masters stating that it strengthens their collective support for former players facing health challenges.
A group of 30 former footballers and their families, including relatives of 1966 World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, have launched legal action against football’s governing bodies in November, accusing them of “failing to take reasonable action” to reduce blows to the head.
The establishment of a new Brain Health Fund has been greatly influenced by Dawn Astle’s involvement.
Her father, Jeff Astle, a former West Brom and England forward, passed away in 2002 due to industrial disease, which was caused by the repeated heading of a ball.
Dawn Astle was once a vocal critic of the PFA for their lack of support towards her family and others, but she joined the union’s former player care department in early 2022.
The Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, considers the welfare and care of players as a top priority and believes that extending support to this newly established fund is essential.
This fund strengthens the collective support of former players who face health challenges.
The FA spokesperson welcomes the Brain Health Fund and considers it to be a valuable support for former professional footballers.
The FA will continue to work alongside stakeholders to provide research, education, awareness and support on brain health.
The EFL is currently engaged in discussions with other football stakeholders to establish a charitable vehicle as a long-term provider of support.
The league is also working through a pan-football brain health action plan to understand, protect and support both current and former players regarding brain health and head injuries.