× Search rightsnet
Search options

Where

Benefit

Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction

From

to

Forum Home  →  Discussion  →  Disability benefits  →  Thread

Footballers and IIDB

shawn mach
Administrator

rightsnet.org.uk

Send message

Total Posts: 3773

Joined: 14 April 2010

Saw this in the press yesterday -

A former Wales international footballer who developed dementia had died after heading heavy leather balls during his career, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Alan Jarvis, 76, who played for Everton, Hull City and Mansfield Town during his career before retiring from the game at the age of 30, died at a nursing home at Mold, North Wales, last December. A coroner at Ruthin recorded a conclusion of death due to an industrial disease.

Coroner John Gittins said Jarvis had pneumonia as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. He said: “The situation is by no means unequivocal. It must be very clear I am not saying playing professional football always causes dementia.”

But, on the balance of probabilities, in the case of Jarvis his previous occupation had been “a factor” in his decline. Gittins said there had been other recorded cases of a similar nature including that of footballer Jeff Astle. “There may well be more in the future as science catches up,” Gittins remarked.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/15/inquest-rules-heading-heavy-leather-balls-a-factor-in-death-of-alan-jarvis

Recall the IIAC looking at whether footballers are at an increased risk of dementia or motor neurone disease back in 2005 (and concluding not)

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090605214106/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2005/nov/iiac241105-sports.asp

Mike Hughes
forum member

Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service

Send message

Total Posts: 3138

Joined: 17 June 2010

Relative of a friend of my family (who all originate from Yr Wyddgrug/Mold).

Ruth_T
forum member

Volunteer adviser - Corby Borough Welfare Rights & CAB

Send message

Total Posts: 313

Joined: 21 June 2010

It is perfectly possible for a person to have an industrial disease but not to have any entitlement to IIDB.  Reasons could be:
• Disease is not “prescribed”
• Disease is prescribed, but not for that person’s occupation
• They are not an employed earner
• Disease not contracted during the course of their employment eg people who handle other people’s contaminated clothing

The importance of the coroner’s verdict is that it goes on the death certificate and is then submitted to ONS.  Such statistical data is used to inform decisions about prescription of industrial diseases.

Terry Craven
forum member

Hope Advice Centre, Liverpool

Send message

Total Posts: 85

Joined: 6 May 2018

shawn mach - 16 October 2020 11:27 AM

Saw this in the press yesterday -

A former Wales international footballer who developed dementia had died after heading heavy leather balls during his career, an inquest heard on Thursday.

Alan Jarvis, 76, who played for Everton, Hull City and Mansfield Town during his career before retiring from the game at the age of 30, died at a nursing home at Mold, North Wales, last December. A coroner at Ruthin recorded a conclusion of death due to an industrial disease.

Coroner John Gittins said Jarvis had pneumonia as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. He said: “The situation is by no means unequivocal. It must be very clear I am not saying playing professional football always causes dementia.”

But, on the balance of probabilities, in the case of Jarvis his previous occupation had been “a factor” in his decline. Gittins said there had been other recorded cases of a similar nature including that of footballer Jeff Astle. “There may well be more in the future as science catches up,” Gittins remarked.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/15/inquest-rules-heading-heavy-leather-balls-a-factor-in-death-of-alan-jarvis

Recall the IIAC looking at whether footballers are at an increased risk of dementia or motor neurone disease back in 2005 (and concluding not)

https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20090605214106/http://www.dwp.gov.uk/mediacentre/pressreleases/2005/nov/iiac241105-sports.asp

Jeff Ashley ex West Brom Is another example. He died of dementia over 10 years ago. His daughter has led a campaign about this. I feel sure if you contact WBA, the club will put you in touch with Astles’ daughter.

ROBBO
forum member

Welfare rights team - Stockport Advice

Send message

Total Posts: 334

Joined: 16 June 2010

Many years ago in a different job in a different location, a former professional footballer came in for some advice.  He was already in receipt of IIDB (not without some difficulty, as far as I remember) but his injury was directly attributable to one hard tackle in the early 70s, when football was a proper game.  Able to draw a great diagram of the field of play.  Was it Tommy Smith who was responsible?  I can’t remember to be honest.

Paul_Treloar_AgeUK
forum member

Information and advice resources - Age UK

Send message

Total Posts: 3196

Joined: 7 January 2016

ROBBO - 21 October 2020 09:20 AM

Many years ago in a different job in a different location, a former professional footballer came in for some advice.  He was already in receipt of IIDB (not without some difficulty, as far as I remember) but his injury was directly attributable to one hard tackle in the early 70s, when football was a proper game.  Able to draw a great diagram of the field of play.  Was it Tommy Smith who was responsible?  I can’t remember to be honest.

Poor old sadly departed Tommy Smith had his disability benefits downgraded after being persuaded to take a single penalty kick for charity back in the day.

Tommy Smith pays penalty for disability claim

shawn mach
Administrator

rightsnet.org.uk

Send message

Total Posts: 3773

Joined: 14 April 2010

From today’s Telegraph:

The Professional Footballer’s Association has become the first major organisation from inside the national game to throw its weight behind recognising dementia in football as an industrial disease.

In a letter to the Government’s Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, the players’ union has formally supported a request for neurodegenerative disease among former professionals to be added to the prescribed list of serious illnesses which would entitle affected players to receive statutory financial support ....

https://twitter.com/hendopolis/status/1323389265775046657/photo/1