An "English study into whether heading a football can cause brain trauma will begin in January," according to Martyn Herman of REUTERS. A BBC documentary presented by former England captain Alan Shearer this month "highlighted the case of Jeff Astle," who died, aged 59, in '02. The study, which will involve "some 15,000 former professional footballers," was announced on Thursday by the FA. William Stewart, who provided medical evidence in the investigation into the circumstances surrounding Astle's death, will lead the study entitled "Football's Influence on Lifelong Health and Dementia Risk" (FIELD). The FIELD study "will look at a range of physical and mental health outcomes, including neurodegenerative disease, in ex-professionals and compare results to matched general population health data." FA CEO Martin Glenn "welcomed the research," saying that it would be one of the "most comprehensive" ever into the long-term health of former footballers. Professional Footballers' Association CEO Gordon Taylor has supported calls for a ban on children under the age of 11 heading the ball "until potential health risks are better understood" (REUTERS, 11/23).
