World Cup Hero Hurst Supports Ban on Children Heading Ball
London (Dispatches) - England’s 1966 World Cup hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst says children should be banned from heading the ball due to so many of his generation suffering from dementia.
Several of Hurst’s 1966 team-mates have been diagnosed with dementia, the most recent Bobby Charlton. Another sufferer, Nobby Stiles, died last month.
Charlton’s brother Jack, Ray Wilson and Martin Peters -- the other England goalscorer in the 4-2 win over the then West Germany in the final -- were also diagnosed with it and have died in the last three years.
Hurst is one of only four members of the side still alive -- Bobby Charlton, George Cohen and Roger Hunt being the others.
Research has shown ex-footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.
"There seems to be a particular group of people who were suffering,” Hurst told the Daily Mirror on Wednesday.
"I go back to my practice days at West Ham, we had a ball hanging from the ceiling, we would head it for 20 minutes.
Several of Hurst’s 1966 team-mates have been diagnosed with dementia, the most recent Bobby Charlton. Another sufferer, Nobby Stiles, died last month.
Charlton’s brother Jack, Ray Wilson and Martin Peters -- the other England goalscorer in the 4-2 win over the then West Germany in the final -- were also diagnosed with it and have died in the last three years.
Hurst is one of only four members of the side still alive -- Bobby Charlton, George Cohen and Roger Hunt being the others.
Research has shown ex-footballers are three-and-a-half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.
"There seems to be a particular group of people who were suffering,” Hurst told the Daily Mirror on Wednesday.
"I go back to my practice days at West Ham, we had a ball hanging from the ceiling, we would head it for 20 minutes.