Heading footballs contributed to Welsh player's dementia, inquest concludes

Alan Jarvis, 76, who played for Everton, Hull City and Mansfield during his career before retiring from the game at the age of 30, died at a nursing home at Mold, North Wales, last December.

A coroner at Ruthin recorded a conclusion of death due to an industrial disease.

Coroner John Gittins said Mr Jarvis had pneumonia as a result of Alzheimer’s disease. He said: "The situation is by no means unequivocal. It must be very clear I am not saying playing professional football always causes dementia.”

But, on the balance of probabilities, in the case of Mr Jarvis his previous occupation had been “a factor” in his decline.

Mr Gittins said there had been other recorded cases of a similar nature, including that of West Bromwich Albion legend Jeff Astle.

“There may well be more in the future as science catches up,“ Mr Gittins remarked.

Mr Jarvis’s widow Dilys, 73, said in a statement read out at the inquest that the Wrexham-born player had been a Liverpool fan but appeared for Everton.

He then joined Hull and Mansfield before becoming a quantity surveyor.

He’d been captain of the under 21s Wales side.

She recalled how he would head the ball “constantly.”

But she declared: "That constant heading couldn’t have done him any good.”

The inquest heard how while playing for Mansfield Mr Jarvis had been knocked unconscious on the pitch after a ball struck his face. He spent two weeks as an inpatient with a detached retina.

Mrs Jarvis said his eye was never the same.

Her late husband’s behaviour had started to change in 2006, he became “more unreasonable and awkward” and bank staff had been concerned by his frequent visits to the bank. Eventually he had difficulties at work and lost his job.

There was a rapid decline in Mr Jarvis’s condition and he went into full-time care in 2012.

“The Alzheimer’s disease killed Alan but I think the head injuries and heading the heavy balls during his playing career contributed greatly to his death,” his widow said.

Mr Jarvis’s brain had been removed and sent to a consultant neuropathologist Dr William Stewart in Glasgow for detailed examination.

Mr Gittins said Dr Stewart found Alzheimer’s disease was five times more likely for former footballers than other people.

After the inquest Mr Jarvis’s daughter Sarah, 46, of Northop, near Mold, said of the conclusion: "I think as a family we are really pleased. It’s confirmed what we have always thought.

“My dad was such a nice guy. It’s such a horrible disease.”

She urged the FA to support their former players.

She also said: "My son plays under twelves football and I don’t think he should be heading a football at that age. They need to address that quite quickly.”

Mr Jarvis was a midfielder and played for Wales against England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad, earning other caps against the home nations. He’d also played rugby as a youngster.

Sarah Jarvis said previously: "My family loves watching football so it’s nothing I would want to change, it’s more awareness. The only thing I want to come out of it is to look after the players.”

She pointed out that modern footballs were now lighter but faster.