Phasing out Heading from Football - Yay or Nay?

[Goat]

I demand players lose their faculties for my gratification.

Dementia risk in former footballers linked to player position and career length, study finds

Five-fold increase in disease among defenders, study suggests

www.independent.co.uk

Next you will be telling me that Boxers risk death every time they fight.

 

[Connor mcloud]

We could just play with a beachball, I think that got tried once

 

[Alan Whittle]

I demand players lose their faculties for my gratification.

Dementia risk in former footballers linked to player position and career length, study finds

Five-fold increase in disease among defenders, study suggests

www.independent.co.uk

I demand that footballers are given a choice to play or not.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Next you will be telling me that Boxers risk death every time they fight.

Sport shouldn't involve the participants being permanently damaged as a matter of course.

 

[The binman chronicles]

I demand players lose their faculties for my gratification.

Dementia risk in former footballers linked to player position and career length, study finds

Five-fold increase in disease among defenders, study suggests

www.independent.co.uk

It's hardly the Colosseum in the 1st century is it?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I demand that footballers are given a choice to play or not.

As it's fairly new research, I kinda suspect very few footballers have the first clue about the risks involved.

 

[Goat]

Sport shouldn't involve the participants being permanently damaged as a matter of course.

I mean I cant imagine the number of drugs those cyclists go through does them a world of good, but.

My point is, Boxers know the risks, footballers also, those people who do the land speed records also.

Sport carries risk, eating peanuts carries risk, its a matter of choice really isnt it.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

It's hardly the Colosseum in the 1st century is it?

Not sure what point you're making? That because footballers aren't eaten by lions it's okay that so many develop brain issues later in life? That's just an occupational hazard and we should carry on regardless?

 

[Bruce Wayne]

I mean I cant imagine the number of drugs those cyclists go through does them a world of good, but.

My point is, Boxers know the risks, footballers also, those people who do the land speed records also.

Sport carries risk, eating peanuts carries risk, its a matter of choice really isnt it.

No, I don't suppose it does, but then taking drugs in cycling is technically illegal. You might also draw comparison with the mandatory wearing of helmets, which was introduced after a couple of riders died after crashing. Is that worth the risk as well or is a pretty simple measure to reduce that risk worthwhile?

Regarding your second point, I reckon the proportion of footballers who have read the research into dementia and heading is practically zero.

I see parallels with rugby, which has obvious issues with concussion and brain injuries. While it remains to be seen if the measures they've introduced have made a difference, they have at least tried to address it rather than brush it under the carpet and say "head shots are just part of the game, get on with it."

 

[Bruce Wayne]

He knew the risks though, surely?

Steve Thompson to donate brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy research

Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson, who was diagnosed with dementia aged 42, will donate his brain to scientists researching brain trauma.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Goat]

No, I don't suppose it does, but then taking drugs in cycling is technically illegal. Regarding your second point, I reckon the proportion of footballers who have read the research into dementia and heading is practically zero.

I see parallels with rugby, which has obvious issues with concussion and brain injuries. While it remains to be seen if the measures they've introduced have made a difference, they have at least tried to address it rather than brush it under the carpet and say "head shots are just part of the game, get on with it."

If footballers havent read the research, I get that, but im assuming that football clubs medical teams have.

 

[Goat]

He knew the risks though, surely?

Steve Thompson to donate brain for chronic traumatic encephalopathy research

Rugby World Cup winner Steve Thompson, who was diagnosed with dementia aged 42, will donate his brain to scientists researching brain trauma.

www.bbc.co.uk

Well no Bruce, you yourself have just said its new research, so his age group wont have known the risks.

But you have to be a certain kind of stupid to know that repeatedly banging your head hard into something wont give you some sort of long term damage.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

If footballers havent read the research, I get that, but im assuming that football clubs medical teams have.

What, so Everton's doctor is going to tell Keane not to head the ball because he might get dementia when he's no longer employed by the club? I can't see it somehow.

 

[Goat]

What, so Everton's doctor is going to tell Keane not to head the ball because he might get dementia when he's no longer employed by the club? I can't see it somehow.

I get that footballers live in their own bubble, but surely some of them can read.

 

[Bruce Wayne]

Well no Bruce, you yourself have just said its new research, so his age group wont have known the risks.

But you have to be a certain kind of stupid to know that repeatedly banging your head hard into something wont give you some sort of long term damage.

As I said above though, you're not going to get people individually saying "I'm not going to head the ball, thanks very much...", it would take a collective change across the entire sport, like we've seen with rugby. If it was down to the clubs to not play players for a bit after any concussion then it would never happen because no player is going to volunteer for that.