Sir Alex Ferguson has joined the cause to have brain injuries sustained while playing football reclassified as industrial injuries by the Scottish government.
The former Manchester United manager signs an open letter alongside Gordon Strachan, Alex McLeish, Willie Miller, and Craig Levein.
It follows a study that revealed ex-professionals had a three-and-a-half times higher risk of dementia.
Michael Marra, a MSP, is in charge of the "Injury Time" campaign.
Fearing that repeated ball heading may be significantly contributing to brain injuries in later life, the MSP for North East Scotland introduced the bid in 2021.
It happens only a few days after Gordon McQueen, a former defender for Scotland, Leeds, and Manchester United, passed away.
His family believes his condition was caused by frequent ball heading. He was diagnosed with dementia two years ago.
According to Mr. Marra, there needs to be more research done into the injuries that players sustain during games.
The concern over it is growing. The effects on a person and their family are enormous.
Memory loss and other types of function loss. It develops into a really life-threatening illness over time. ".
At the University of Glasgow's School of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dr. Willie Stewart conducted research on brain injury.
According to Mr. Marra, the campaign made the Scottish government answer to three "demands.".
- Consider football brain injuries to be workplace accidents. Ensure that former professionals have access to the benefits and care they deserve.
- Spend more money on research into the game's practical and preventative aid at all levels.
- Create a working group to examine the problems with dementia and brain damage, especially in youth and women's sports.
The Labour MSP stated that Scotland's government would soon have the authority to determine who qualified for workers' compensation benefits and that it had its own planned program known as employment injury assistance.
It is "vital" to increase support for former players, according to former Scotland manager Alex McLeish.
"The science guys are not frequently wrong," he said. Therefore, you must respect that.
"We must take action, speak up, and work to change the government's position in order to assist. ".
"Right now, it's about helping families if a loved one passes away after taking part in this wonderful sport of ours," he continued. ".
According to a spokesperson for the Scottish government, the UK government continues to determine which conditions should be prescribed for the benefit's purposes while providing Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
We have committed to holding a consultation on how we plan to replace the program in Scotland in the coming months because we are aware that there are a variety of opinions on Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.
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