Former football star Gordon McQueen’s dementia was linked to heading the ball, according to testimony in his recent inquest. The Scottish and Manchester United legend, diagnosed with vascular dementia, passed away at the age of 70 in 2023. His daughter, Hayley McQueen, a presenter at Sky Sports, shared that her father acknowledged the potential impact of heading footballs on his health.
During the hearing in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, Hayley mentioned her father’s struggles with headaches, noting that he often mentioned the toll that heading the ball may have taken over the years. Despite McQueen’s successful career with St Mirren, Leeds, and United from 1970 to 1985, his family observed changes in his behavior after he turned 60. Issues with swallowing and cognitive decline became prominent, leading to a shift in his personality.
Hayley described how her father’s once active and sociable nature gave way to confusion and withdrawal. She highlighted his difficulties with basic tasks like writing and making tea, as well as his loss of orientation in time and space. The family’s legal representative, Michael Rawlinson KC, inquired about McQueen’s goal-scoring techniques, to which Hayley revealed that he primarily scored with his head from set-pieces.
Following discussions with Dawn Astle, daughter of the late Jeff Astle, a former English striker with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), McQueen’s family learned more about his condition. A post-mortem examination conducted by Prof Willie Stewart at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow confirmed the presence of CTE in McQueen’s brain. Prof Stewart highlighted the typical symptoms associated with CTE, emphasizing the link between repetitive head injuries and the disease.
Senior coroner John Heath disclosed the findings of the post-mortem, indicating a combination of pneumonia, mixed vascular dementia, and CTE in McQueen. Prof Stewart’s research suggested that players in certain positions, particularly defenders, faced a higher risk of neurodegenerative diseases compared to goalkeepers who rarely headed the ball. The inquest was adjourned for further legal review, with conclusions expected on January 26.