{"id":572531,"date":"2020-11-18T13:11:40","date_gmt":"2020-11-18T18:11:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/?p=572531"},"modified":"2020-11-18T13:11:40","modified_gmt":"2020-11-18T18:11:40","slug":"sir-geoff-hurst-backs-ban-on-children-heading-footballs-following-links-to-dementia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/football\/2020\/11\/18\/sir-geoff-hurst-backs-ban-on-children-heading-footballs-following-links-to-dementia\/","title":{"rendered":"Sir Geoff Hurst Backs Ban on Children Heading Footballs Following Links to Dementia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sir Geoff Hurst believes that banning children from heading footballs would be a ‘sensible suggestion.’<\/a><\/p>\n

The news of multiple much-loved former footballers suffering from dementia is once again creating a discussion about sports safety. There is research that suggests<\/a> that repeated head trauma can lead to neurological disorders in later life. Footballers seem to be especially vulnerable to dementia and Sir Geoff Hurst believes changes need to be made.<\/p>\n

Calls for Banning Heading Balls for Children Backed by Sir Geoff Hurst<\/h2>\n

Sir Geoff Hurst Will Donate His Brain to Aide Dementia Research<\/h3>\n

Sir Geoff Hurst, a surviving member of England’s 1966 world cup winning squad, has seen his former teammates suffer from dementia. This past year has seen Nobby Stiles and Jack Charlton<\/a> die whilst suffering from dementia before\u00a0Sir Bobby Charlton was diagnosed with the condition<\/a>. In an interview with the Daily Mirror, Sir Geoff Hurst suggested that banning children from heading footballs is a ‘sensible suggestion.’ The former England forward also stated that he would donate his brain to medical studies to help future research.<\/p>\n

A\u00a0<\/span>study by Glasgow University<\/span><\/a> in 2019 found former professional footballers are three and a half times more likely to die of dementia than people of the same age range in the general population.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These studies are already making changes. In light of the studies, the FA launched new coaching guidelines to restrict the amount of heading by under-18 players in training. The surge in cases of dementia among retired athletes may force other impact sports to take notice.<\/p>\n

An Increasing Amount of Former Footballers Are Worrying About Dementia<\/h3>\n

Now that the links between football and dementia have become clear, former players are becoming concerned. Alan Shearer<\/a> underwent an MRI<\/a> scan to see if there was any damage after his long successful career. Additionally, Gary Lineker stated<\/a> that the news of Sir Bobby Charlton’s diagnosis was ‘deeply concerning’. Reported in The Telegraph, Lineker believes<\/a> all footballers should back the move to end heading in training.<\/p>\n

Main Photo<\/p>\n

Embed from Getty Images<\/a>