Health
Coroner rules heading a football caused brain disease in England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles
July 15, 2026 at 05:58 PM
Coverage
2 reports
An inquest found that the 1966 World Cup winner's death was contributed to by chronic traumatic encephalopathy from repeatedly heading a football.
- Senior coroner Alison Mutch recorded the cause of death as Alzheimer's disease contributed to by CTE, caused by heading a football about 140,000 times.
- Dr Daniel Du Plessis, a neuropathology expert, told the court he was "quite convinced" heading the ball caused Stiles' CTE.
- Stiles' son John told the inquest his father headed the ball 40 times a day, five times a week over each 10-month season.
- Dozens of former footballers and their families, including Stiles', are suing the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales and the English Football League for alleged negligence.
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