Grumpy Old Man
Striker
I would have thought that the dementia risk from heading is lower now than in the past. The cases like Jeff Astle, which I'm not making light of, by the way, are from players who had to deal with the old-style ball which absorbed water and became significantly heavier as a game progressed if the pitch was remotely damp. Anyone who was playing even at school in the 60's will know all about that. What we don't know is the extent to which that risk has been reduced or not by the newer synthetic balls that are used now. Players like Shearer taking these tests can only be a good thing. We also need the generations before that - the likes of Dave Watson, Vic Halom or Gary Bennett who did a lot of heading - to come forward as well. The more data the medics have, the better we can understand what heading is doing to players' brains.