David Beckham has joined calls for football authorities to do more to help footballers affected by dementia and their families.
The former England captain threw his support behind the Football Families for Justice group which gathered retired players and relatives on Friday to lobby authorities on brain injuries caused by the sport.
In a video message played at an event in Manchester, Beckham highlighted how three of his mentors around Manchester United – England World Cup winners Sir Bobby Charlton and Nobby Stiles and “Class of 92” youth coach Eric Harrison – died from neurodegenerative diseases.
He said: “I want to add my support to the work of John Stiles (Nobby’s son) and Football Families for Justice in their campaign to meet the needs of those affected.
“We need the football family to come together and allocate resources to help address the tragedy of these devastating diseases.
“Let’s ensure that victims and their families are treated with kindness, respect and best-in-class support.
“I hope you will join us in ensuring a better future for our former colleagues – the many ex-professional footballers who have brought so much joy to so many fans and for their loved ones.”
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The football campaigners were joined by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool City Region counterpart Steve Rotheram to call on the government to amend the Football Governance Bill to deal with the “brain disease epidemic” in the sport.
They want it to require “football authorities and the players’ union to develop a care and support scheme for players who develop dementia or other neurodegenerative conditions, linked to their football career, and a requirement that it be agreed with players past and present and their families”.
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Five members of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad later suffered from dementia.
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The family of Nobby Stiles, who died in 2020, say his brain was severely damaged by repeated heading of the ball.
Son John Stiles, who played for Leeds, said the existing Professional Footballers’ Association fund is “not fit for purpose” – particularly to fund former players requiring long-term treatment.
“We want a properly financed care fund so players know if they get ill with dementia they will be cared for,” said John Stiles.
“Football is so wealthy it could sort this out tomorrow but we are nowhere near getting that.”
Mr Stiles said chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) will become “more prevalent” in the game.
“This is football’s problem and football should be paying for it – not the NHS and not the taxpayers,” he said.
The Football Association (FA) said it was taking a “leading role” investing in and supporting projects on players’ health.
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“We have already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors which may be associated with football whilst ongoing research continues in this area including liaising with the international governing bodies,” an FA spokesperson told Sky News.
