Man Utd icon's death contributed to by injury caused by repeatedly heading ball

Nobby Stiles’ death has been linked, in a coroner’s ruling, to a brain condition attributed to repeatedly heading a football. The 1966 England World Cup winner and Manchester United legend died at age 78, with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) cited as the underlying injury. His family had previously argued that the sport “killed” him, and his son John leads Football Families for Justice, pressing football authorities for stronger action. The group is suing the Football Association, the FA of Wales, and the English Football League, alleging negligence and breach of duty of care. The FA has pointed to a lack of established science connecting heading or “occasional” concussion to permanent damage. The ruling comes after similar findings in other player inquests, and the FA says it has been phasing out heading in youth football up to under-11s by 2026.