We must act to protect the brains of young footballers

I had known about the early death in 2002 of Jeff Astle, the West Bromwich Albion striker, and that the inquest had concluded that it was due to "industrial disease". Living and working in nearby Dudley, I read the local press coverage in detail, which led me to assume that the cause had been the heavy, often water-sodden, leather footballs used when Astle was playing in the 1960s and 70s, and that the new plastic footballs had solved the problem.

I was then an education director, and in discussions with local politicians who were promoting the development of boxing clubs under the auspices of the youth service. While there may have been social benefits, I felt strongly that there was the possibility of long-term damage, and was uneasy about the council sponsoring such activities. In the end, the proposal did not go ahead. The controversy about youth boxing continues to this day, with strong views on both sides.