'Heading ball likely contributed to McQueen's brain disease'

"I have found that Mr McQueen suffered repetitive head impacts during his career. I am satisfied that on the balance of probability that repeatedly heading footballs contributed to his developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The combination of CTE and vascular dementia led to pneumonia. I find the cause of death pneumonia, vascular dementia and CTE. It is likely that repetitive head impacts, sustained by heading the ball while playing football, contributed to the CTE."

"CTE contributed to his death significantly, said Prof Stewart, adding that the only available causal evidence was exposure to repeated impacts - heading a football. Prof Stewart said symptoms of CTE were cognitive decline and neuro-behaviour change, and that they "can't be explained by another condition - it must be progressive". He said symptoms were "typical in professional football and rugby players who have long careers"."

An inquest concluded that repeatedly heading footballs likely contributed to Gordon McQueen developing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). The coroner found McQueen suffered repetitive head impacts during his career and recorded cause of death as pneumonia, vascular dementia and CTE. McQueen experienced vascular dementia and died aged 70 in 2023. Neuropathological examination revealed torn brain membrane and CTE present in multiple brain regions. CTE symptoms included cognitive decline and neuro‑behavioural change that are progressive and not explained by other conditions. Those symptoms are described as typical in professional football and rugby players with long careers; goalkeepers have risk equivalent to general population.

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