Football: World Cup hero Hurst supports ban on children heading ball

ABS-CBN News

England&#x27;s 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst says children should be banned from heading the ball due to so many of his generation suffering from dementia.Several of Hurst&#x27;s 1966 team-mates have been diagnosed with dementia, the most recent Bobby Charlton. Another sufferer, Nobby Stiles, died last month.Charlton&#x27;s brother Jack, Ray Wilson and Martin Peters -- the other England goalscorer in the 4-2 win over the then West Germany in the final -- were also diagnosed with it and have died in the last three years.Hurst is one of only four members of the side still alive -- Bobby Charlton, George Cohen and Roger Hunt being the others. Research has shown ex-footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.&quot;There seems to be a particular group of people who were suffering,&quot; Hurst told the Daily Mirror on Wednesday.&quot;I go back to my practice days at West Ham, we had a ball hanging from the ceiling, we would head it for 20 minutes.“Then we’d play head tennis in the gym and, in the practice on the field, we&#x27;d be practising near-post, far-post headers, and you could head 20 or 30 balls in the space of half an hour.&quot;The 78-year-old West Ham great said banning children from heading the ball would be a good thing as their brains are not yet fully developed. &quot;It would be a very strong and sensible suggestion,&quot; he said.&quot;I think stopping at that young age, when the brain has not matured, must be looked at.&quot;I don&#x27;t think it would destroy the enjoyment of kids&#x27; football or grassroots football.&quot;Hurst&#x27;s intervention -- he added he would be willing &quot;absolutely&quot; to donate his brain for research on dementia -- comes after Stiles&#x27;s family issued a hard hitting statement to the BBC on Tuesday.In a statement paying tribute to their pride of &quot;what he (Stiles) achieved but more importantly, the man he was&quot;, the family said: &quot;There is a need for urgent action.&quot;These older players have largely been forgotten and many are in ill health, like dad.&quot;How can it be that these players are left needing help when their own union (the Professional Footballers&#x27; Association) has tens of millions of pounds available today?&quot;How can it be that these players (are) struggling when the Premier League receives £3bn a year?&quot;The modern player will never need the help required by the older lads.&quot;How can it be right that some of the heroes of 1966 had to sell their medals to provide for the families?&quot;These older players are dying like my dad. Many don&#x27;t have medals to sell.&quot;<div>pi/nr </div><div>© Agence France-Presse</div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/DbrgXWb_JpY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

England's 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst says children should be banned from heading the ball due to so many of his generation suffering from dementia.

England's 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst says children should be banned from heading the ball due to so many of his generation suffering from dementia.

Football: World Cup hero Hurst supports ban on children heading ball | ABS-CBN

Entertainment

News

Metro.Style

Sports

More

Sports

Football: World Cup hero Hurst supports ban on children heading ball

Football: World Cup hero Hurst supports ban on children heading ball

ABS-CBN News

Published Nov 18, 2020 09:01 PM PHT

Read More:

Geoff Hurst

Heading Ball

Football

Dementia

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Advertise with Us

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

© 2024 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.