A coroner in Stockport has determined that former England midfielder Nobby Stiles died with a brain condition caused by repeatedly heading a football during his playing career. Stiles, who was part of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning squad, passed away in 2020, though the death was not initially reported to the coroner’s office. His family subsequently campaigned for a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death.
During the inquest, medical evidence revealed that Stiles headed a football approximately 140,000 times over his career. Analysis of his brain tissue showed he had developed chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in addition to Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropathology expert Dr Daniel Du Plessis testified that the repeated heading was responsible for causing the CTE condition. When questioned directly by coroner Alison Mutch about whether repeated heading caused the CTE, Du Plessis confirmed this assessment.
Stiles played for Manchester United nearly 400 times and earned 28 caps for England. In his later years, he developed severe dementia and eventually had to sell his World Cup winner’s medals to pay for care. His family has been vocal advocates for greater support for former players dealing with injuries sustained during their football careers. John Stiles, his son and head of Football Families for Justice, described his father as a humble family man who did not dwell on his sporting achievements.
The ruling adds to a growing body of cases linking heading in football to brain injuries. Earlier, an inquest into the death of former Scotland, Manchester United and Leeds United defender Gordon McQuee determined that heading the ball was “likely” to have contributed to a brain injury which factored in his death, with McQueen also having been diagnosed with CTE. Multiple former footballers and their families are currently pursuing legal action against the Football Association, Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League, alleging negligence and breach of duty of care.
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