Nanny has got the bit between her teeth wrt health and safety again, and this time she is focused on the dangers to children of heading a football.
Dr Michael Grey, reader in Motor Neuroscience at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences is of the view that children should not 'head the ball' when playing football; as it can cause brain injuries in the young, and may affect professional players as well.
Dr Grey is quoted by the Telegraph very kindly saying he doesn't want to ban sport:
"I do not think that children should stop sport, the obesity epidemic means we need to encourage them.Aside from Jeff Astle West Bromwich Albion striker, who died in 2002 from a brain disease and the coroner ruled it as 'industrial disease' suggesting his profession had caused the damage, please could Nanny provide us with a list of those who have had brain injuries directly as a result of heading footballs?
But we do need to look at rule changes and the way we train children.
Children should not be heading the ball. We don't know at what age children's necks become strong enough to withstand the movement of the head when the head is struck by the ball.
Some of my colleagues have suggested 14 but I really think it is individual.
In addition the brain starts to shake and rotates when the head is struck by the ball.
The brain bounces back and forth and it is the impact of the brain against the inside of the skull causes additional damage."
No?
I thought not!
Disregarding the above, a report published in June by Chris Bryant MP and paralympic gold medalist and member of the House of Lords, Baroness Grey-Thompson, entitled 'Concussion can kill' called for a parliamentary investigation into head injuries in sport and warned that law suits could follow.
The report asks if steps can be taken to limit the number of times players had the ball in football, particularly youth players.
Pardon?
Are they seriously suggesting that players have their access to the ball restricted?
What planet do these people come from?
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This is not a new suggestion: similar research a number of years ago came to similar conclusions. However I am keeping an open mind as I am neither a neurologist nor an expert in football, so am in no position to pass judgement regarding the truth or otherwise of these concerns.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I was "odd" in that I absolutely hated football and was utterly useless at the game. However, I had no problems with youngsters (and others) playing football, or any other game or sport for that matter, nor have I since, if that is what they enjoy doing, provided that the rights of those who do not like the activity in question are also respected. Indeed, the only things I find objectionable about the game are the ridiculous salaries given to the top players, the behaviour some players indulge in, and the exorbitant prices charged for admission to games at the top, which means many supporters can never attend live games
Whether heading footballs, in particular the large case balls used in "proper" games, cause any long term brain damage I cannot say, as I am not qualified to pass judgement on the matter. I can only look at some of the football stars of the past, many of whom seem to live, or have lived, very long lives. I suppose it is possible for problems to arise for those who have thin skulls who constantly head footballs, I don't know.
Get your facts straight! This is absolute rubbish. If you are going to quote somebody the least you can do is get the quote correct. What an incredibly ill-informed blog - do a bit of reading on the topic and then you might have something intelligent to say.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, please advise where I have made an error in transcribing the quote from the Telegraph and I will happily correct it.
DeleteAnd, although I don't think I still have the article, I didn't imagine that I read something very similar about 15 years ago!
DeleteAre you the knobhead pictured at the beginning of this article?
Delete