A coroner has determined that heading a football “likely” played a role in the brain injury that contributed to the death of former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen.
McQueen, who earned 30 caps for Scotland from 1974 to 1981 and enjoyed a 16-year career playing for clubs like Leeds and Manchester United, passed away at his home in North Yorkshire in June 2023 at the age of 70.
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According to the inquest held in Northallerton, North Yorkshire, pneumonia was the cause of death, as McQueen had become frail and bed-bound in the months leading up to his passing.
The coroner, Jon Heath, attributed his frailty to a combination of vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
On Monday, the coroner concluded that McQueen died from pneumonia resulting from mixed vascular dementia and CTE, stating, “It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE.”
Hayley McQueen, McQueen’s daughter and a TV presenter, was present in court for the findings. Reflecting on her father’s health during the inquest, she recounted how he had mentioned, “Heading a football for all those years probably hasn’t helped.”
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She remarked on how players would often return to play after sustaining concussions, recalling instances when her father would come back from Manchester United training and need to lie down in a dark room due to headaches.
Following his death, McQueen’s family donated his brain to Professor Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Prof. Stewart later confirmed findings of CTE and vascular dementia.
In agreement with barrister Michael Rawlinson KC, representing the McQueen family, Prof. Stewart stated that CTE “more than minimally, negligibly or trivially” contributed to McQueen’s death, with “heading the ball” also implicated in his CTE diagnosis, as it was the only evidence available regarding his exposure to heading.
Ms. McQueen noted that her father had been healthy and active during his playing days and after retirement, but noticeable changes in his personality emerged after his 60th birthday.
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Describing her father as a once sociable and outgoing man, she mentioned that he had become increasingly withdrawn over time.
During his career, McQueen won a First Division title with Leeds in 1974 and an FA Cup with Manchester United in 1983.
Five members of England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team, including Sir Bobby Charlton, his brother Jack, Ray Wilson, Martin Peters, and Nobby Stiles, were diagnosed with CTE, which either caused or contributed to their deaths.
As evidence mounts regarding the risks associated with heading a football, there have been increasing calls to ban the practice altogether. A ban was implemented in English football for matches involving players under 7 to under 9 during the 2024-25 season.
This ban has now been extended to include under-10s this season, with plans to introduce it for under-11 matches in the 2026-27 campaign.