Former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen, who passed away in June 2023 at the age of 70, may have suffered from brain injury due to repeated head impacts while playing football, a coroner has concluded. The inquest into his death found that McQueen had vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which contributed to his frailty.
McQueen's career spanned 16 years, with notable stints at Manchester United and Leeds, earning him 30 caps for Scotland between 1974 and 1981. However, he also acknowledged that heading a football may have played a role in his dementia, stating during an inquest that "heading the ball for all those years probably hasn't helped" β comments shared by his daughter, TV presenter Hayley McQueen.
While McQueen did suffer from some concussions throughout his career, which would have been common among footballers at the time, he claimed to have been relatively injury-free. Nevertheless, these repeated head impacts were found by coroner Jon Heath to be a likely contributor to McQueen's CTE.
The case highlights growing concerns about the long-term effects of heading a football, particularly for athletes who spend their careers in high-intensity contact sports. The fact that McQueen, despite being relatively injury-free, still experienced headaches and felt the need to rest after training sessions suggests that he may have been more susceptible to brain damage due to his repeated exposure to heading a ball.
In recent years, there has been increasing awareness about CTE among footballers and their families. As part of an effort to raise awareness, McQueen's family donated his brain for research purposes. The study, led by Prof Willie Stewart, found evidence of CTE in McQueen's brain, further emphasizing the need for greater understanding and support for athletes at risk of this debilitating condition.
As football continues to evolve with changing rules and technologies aimed at reducing head impacts, it is essential that players prioritize their health and safety. The case of Gordon McQueen serves as a poignant reminder of the potential risks associated with playing high-impact sports, and the importance of continued research into CTE and other brain injuries suffered by athletes.
McQueen's career spanned 16 years, with notable stints at Manchester United and Leeds, earning him 30 caps for Scotland between 1974 and 1981. However, he also acknowledged that heading a football may have played a role in his dementia, stating during an inquest that "heading the ball for all those years probably hasn't helped" β comments shared by his daughter, TV presenter Hayley McQueen.
While McQueen did suffer from some concussions throughout his career, which would have been common among footballers at the time, he claimed to have been relatively injury-free. Nevertheless, these repeated head impacts were found by coroner Jon Heath to be a likely contributor to McQueen's CTE.
The case highlights growing concerns about the long-term effects of heading a football, particularly for athletes who spend their careers in high-intensity contact sports. The fact that McQueen, despite being relatively injury-free, still experienced headaches and felt the need to rest after training sessions suggests that he may have been more susceptible to brain damage due to his repeated exposure to heading a ball.
In recent years, there has been increasing awareness about CTE among footballers and their families. As part of an effort to raise awareness, McQueen's family donated his brain for research purposes. The study, led by Prof Willie Stewart, found evidence of CTE in McQueen's brain, further emphasizing the need for greater understanding and support for athletes at risk of this debilitating condition.
As football continues to evolve with changing rules and technologies aimed at reducing head impacts, it is essential that players prioritize their health and safety. The case of Gordon McQueen serves as a poignant reminder of the potential risks associated with playing high-impact sports, and the importance of continued research into CTE and other brain injuries suffered by athletes.
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. and it's not just mckean, there are plenty of other players who've spoken out about their own struggles with brain damage. i mean, can't we just imagine how hard it must be for them to deal with all that trauma? 
gives me chills. like, yeah no kidding, gordon! we get it 
. and i love that his family donated his brain for research - that's some real class right there 
.
. because if they can't even protect their own brains, how are we gonna fix this problem? 
vascular dementia and cte are no joke, i mean i feel bad for his fam but it's crazy how much research is needed on brain injuries 
they need to get it together with the rules and stuff so players can play without losin their brains 
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. i wish his fam had more info about what was going on in his brain at the time 
. and yeah, it's so important for players to prioritize their health now with all these new rules and tech 
. maybe we can learn from gordon's case and make football a safer sport for everyone 
The fact that McQueen was relatively injury-free yet still struggled with vascular dementia and CTE highlights the need for ongoing research into these conditions. I'd love to see more initiatives supporting athletes who have suffered from brain injuries, providing them with access to top-notch care and resources. 
. I mean, who wouldn't want to be stuck with dementia at 70? 
And all those years of "playing for Scotland" 
was probably just a fancy way of saying he got hit in the head 16 times by that pesky old ball 
οΈ. The fact that his own daughter is now sharing his "insights" about the dangers of heading the ball makes me wonder if they've been having some in-depth conversations 
... or if she's just trying to cover her dad's behind 
. Anyway, I guess it's a good thing his brain was donated for research purposes β now we can all learn from Gordon's "generous" sacrifice 
.
. I feel bad for his family, donating his brain for research is so selfless... 
.
... it's crazy to think that all those years of heading a football might have taken its toll on his brain. 30 caps for Scotland is still impressive btw 
the fact that he was relatively injury-free but still had CTE is wild 
like, new rules and technology are being introduced all the time. we need more research into CTE tho, like, how many players are actually affected? it's just not right that they have to suffer in silence... my dad played football when he was younger & he always complained about headaches after games 
.
70 years old is way too young! 
He was an awesome footballer & it's crazy that he might have suffered from dementia & CTE due to all those head impacts 
. It's like, we knew that heading a ball could be bad for you, but we didn't really know how bad... 
. We need to keep researching & finding ways to make the game safer 
I'm not saying they should've stopped playing, but maybe some of those fancy rules and tech could've helped reduce the risk. It's all about prioritizing your health and safety, right? 
... and I mean, 30 caps for Scotland isn't a bad start, but I'm pretty sure Hayley McQueen wasn't exactly 'bravely' saying her dad was clueless about the whole CTE thing... it's all just so... convenient that her dad had to say that "heading the ball" might've been a problem 
, I mean, we knew football was tough on the body but... a 70-year-old man and still it's like they're trying to make excuses about it 
? Maybe it's because of all the awareness campaigns but still... let's hope football does more to protect these athletes' brains 
. It's a really sobering reminder that our bodies can't always withstand the demands of high-impact sports 
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. I hope it helps shed some light on how to prevent or manage CTE and other brain injuries in football 
. Anyway, let's all take a moment to remember Gordon McQueen and the importance of prioritizing our health and safety 
.
. Anyway, let's keep the conversation going and maybe we can learn something from McQueen's story