The latest group claim includes 60 new cases related to former stars, including former Aston Villa and Northern Ireland defender Chris Nicholl and ex-Bolton Wanderers hero Roy Greaves, who have both died
Soccer chiefs are now facing concussion compensation demands from 93 former footballers and their families.
The number of claims, lodged in a number of separate group actions, have tripled in recent months amid speculation payouts could total hundreds of millions of pounds.
The latest includes 60 new claims related to former stars, including former Aston Villa captain Chris Nicholl, who died aged 77 in 2024. Nicholl had been living with dementia, specifically chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which he attributed to brain damage caused by repeatedly heading the ball.
Other former footballers named in the claim, lodged against the FA, the Football League, and the FA of Wales, include ex-Bolton Wanderers hero Roy Greaves, who also died aged 77 in 2024, and former Bristol City, Hull and Stockport forward Aaron Wilbraham, 46.
Lawyers believe a precedent was set in American Football stars, which led to the NFL paying out $1billion to players who had suffered brain damage. Research in 2019 showed former footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of dementia than the general population.
A source said: “These cases could easily lead to payouts totalling hundreds of millions of pounds. You’ve got to understand that a lot of the players impacted are aged in their 50s and are likely to live for another 20, 30 or even 40 years. They will require expert care for the rest of their lives.”
Law firm Rylands Garth said players involved in the case were suffering with a range of life-altering neurological injuries, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Parkinson’s, Motor Neurone Disease, and Dementia caused by head impacts sustained during the course of their careers.
A similar action, involving the same legal firm, was also launched by former rugby league and former rugby union players in 2022.
Other claimants who have previously lodged actions include the family of late England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles, who was forced to sell his medals to pay for his dementia care before he died in 2020. His brain was diagnosed as having CTE – a form of degenerative disease dementia that is believed to be caused by repeated blows.
Paperwork filed at the High Court says: “The Claimants claim damages for personal injury, death and consequential loss. The Claimants are all former professional, semi-professional or amateur football players, who, as a result of the negligence of the one, more or all of the Defendants, sustained in the course of their playing careers, multiple and significant concussive and or sub-concussive impact injuries, which have caused long-term neurological damage, personal injury, loss and inconvenience.
“The deceased were also professional football players who sustained the same injuries which caused long-term neurological damage and death.” It adds: “Several of the claimants have suffered and continue to suffer from neurological trauma and experience varying degrees of memory loss and other psychological and/or neurological conditions.”
Rylands Garth claimed the defendants failed to take reasonable action to protect players from concussion-related injuries, despite knowing of the risks. A spokesperson said: “The former players we represent, many of whom are suffering with debilitating degenerative injuries, do not have the luxury of time. “They and their families continue to suffer every day with the devastating impact of the negligence of sports authorities. This is vital litigation so as to help the retired players we represent and to help force through urgent change to stop the same from happening to current and future players.”
An English Football League spokesperson tonight told the Mirror: “The EFL understands that this is an incredibly challenging and deeply difficult situation for all those people and their families who have been affected.
“As a result of ongoing proceedings we are unable to pass substantial comment on the matter, however, it is important to acknowledge that prolonging this process any more than is necessary is completely unfair on those impacted.
“The EFL received notice of claims in December 2022. Since then, the League and our legal representatives have actively engaged in the process and have challenged the lack of progress from the Claimants’ legal representative in advancing the case.
“Those delays could potentially impact further efforts by the whole game to support those in need, so we call on the relevant parties to move this forward quickly so the claims can be tested in the appropriate way.”
An FA spokesperson said: “We continue to take a leading role in reviewing and improving the safety of our game. This includes investing in and supporting multiple projects in order to gain a greater understanding of this area through objective, robust and thorough research.
“We have already taken many proactive steps to review and address potential risk factors which may be associated with football whilst ongoing research continues in this area, including liaising with the international governing bodies.”
