Blues skipper Luke Chambers is calling on the PFA to spend more money researching the dangers of heading the ball.

Former England internationals Jeff Astle and Nobby Stiles are among a number of ex-players to have developed dementia having retired with evidence increasingly pointing to a link between football, specifically heading, and brain disease.

“I saw the other day that the PFA chief executive [Gordon Taylor] gets more than £2 million a year,” Chambers, 32, told the club site.

“I’m not sure what for. I don’t think we get much from the PFA to be honest. They send someone down at the start of the season and tell us what we can do and what we can’t do and that’s it.

""“So, we spend £2 million on a chief executive but what, £100,000 or so on research into head injuries in football and what heading can do to a player over their career?

“There is a lot of research that has gone on in the United States for the NFL and concussion to players. I’d like to see a lot more done in our game. "

“As the world develops, more information becomes available. I didn’t worry about the ramifications of continually heading a football 10 years ago because it was never mentioned.

“Now there are more stories out there, more information so you start to think about it more. I’d certainly like to see more of the PFA funding spent on that research because I’ve been heading a ball since I was eight years old.”

Photo: TWTD

maccyd9 added 12:01 - Feb 28 This is very relevant for a Mick McCarthy team in fairness.
8

Bluetone added 12:07 - Feb 28 Stop hoofball play it on the green stuff you know it makes sense.
1

gerard1947 added 12:15 - Feb 28 A very good point well made by Chambers. Perhaps it was worse when the balls were heavier but even now It really can't do be a good thing. If decisions have to made that will change football as we know it so be it. Dementia is ghastly thing to happen to anyone.
19

Radlett_blue added 12:28 - Feb 28 Chambers is spot-on. I'm glad he also drew attention to the 73 year old Taylor's grotesque salary.
19

shoopdelang added 13:02 - Feb 28 Can't help but like Chambers. Straight talking.
17

Pilgrimblue added 13:11 - Feb 28 Quite agree with Chambo. Gordon Taylor is paid 10 times the PM for just running the players union! It's outrageous, he thinks he's a fund manager and has lost sight of what his job is. About time he was ousted and replaced with someone who cares about the players
17

Carberry added 13:12 - Feb 28 The Alan Shearer BBC programme about this was very good. The research could very well change the game as we know it. There's a strong school of though that kids shouldn't be heading it at all. As for the NFL, can't help but think if they took the crash helmets off they would have far fewer head collisions and less injuries.
4

Cakeman added 13:48 - Feb 28 Chambers does make some very valid points and this being one of them. Certainly more research required and strange as it may seem perhaps in years to come the deliberate heading of the ball will be penalised. It's a fast changing health and safety world.
9

blueboy1981 added 14:06 - Feb 28 Good points Chambo - can't ever imagine the game being played without heading the ball tho' to be honest. As for the expenditure in all the wrong directions - typically beuracratic of many systems in the UK - we can only hope that will someday change.
6

ChrisR added 14:49 - Feb 28 Gordon Taylor is like a geriatric African President who just does not accept that his time is up , surely there must be some ex player out there more up to date and knowledgeable , and also willing to accept fairer pay than this kleptomaniac? Potential damage caused by heading the ball is a crucial issue especially for younger players. All fans would hate to see heading removed from the game , but perhaps restrictions or head gear for under 18s? So where does the PFA stand ?

5

Garv added 15:19 - Feb 28 Not sure I like footballers judging other peoples' earnings but hey ho. It's obviously an important talking point, although the programme that Shearer made seemed to point to a huge lack of evidence that it was a direct cause.
1

ronnyd added 16:38 - Feb 28 How can Taylor be worth £2.2 million a year, plus a £700k "bonus". Smacks of the inflated salaries paid by FIFA, EUFA and the IOC. I,ts. just a huge gravy train with no fiscal control from the powers that be. This has been reported in various newspapers over the last few days too.
5

Seasider added 16:48 - Feb 28 Crikey Taylor nearly as old as me;about time he retired,but on such a good earner. Don't know why he has been in situ for so long,surely the players have a say who is CEO,if not who picks him,and surely it isn't for life. Perhaps Chambo would fancy putting in for it,nice little earner !!!
7

NZtrueblue added 17:07 - Feb 28 Maybe only have headers allowed in the penalty area, I hated heading the goalkeepers long punt upfield
4

Cakeman added 17:53 - Feb 28 Good idea NZtrueblue. Also agree about heading the goalkeepers long punts upfield. I recall a good few years ago that it was not ideal on a Sunday morning after a few pints of Adnams the night before!
3

Karlosfandangal added 18:13 - Feb 28 Footballers judging other people wages.......why don't players put 5% of their wages in for research....
2

Fen69 added 20:34 - Feb 28 Why not just soften the balls/inflate less so they are not rock hard, may even encourage younger players to head the ball? Also would no doubt prevent toe injuries aswell!
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ronnyd added 21:13 - Feb 28 Fen69, have you ever tried to head a ball that,s not quite hard enough? hurts like hell and spreads around your forehead. No thanks.
3

KiwiBlue2 added 01:50 - Mar 1 Payment level for the CEO is absurd. In a sane world the figures would be the other way around, CEO paid 100k and research getting 2m. Sensible comments by Luke and I hope that he gets support on this issue.
4

bobble added 07:30 - Mar 1 my respect for this bloke has just increased by 1000%....
3

Kropotkin123 added 08:03 - Mar 1 Just make heading a red card, then retrospectively change laws to balance the game. It will get more teams playing more entertaining football (not a dig at us).
0

poldark added 08:05 - Mar 1 Why not just ban football just as we have at PR
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black_shuck added 09:49 - Mar 1 To wilful men, the injuries that they themselves procure must be their schoolmasters.
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blueboy1981 added 10:16 - Mar 1 ....... have blind faith poldark - at the current rate of deterioration we won't have a pitch fit to play on. There may be more to that than meets the eye .... !!
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beornioblue added 11:38 - Mar 1 with regards the research into heading the ball i think it makes perfect sense they don't all want to end up like Steve Claridge do they :)
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