Bobby Charlton and dementia

Sir, – The death of Bobby Charlton comes a few years after he publicised his diagnosis of dementia.

The weight of a football is set by the rules of the game but the materials used to make them evolve. Older footballs, when wet, became heavier and heading them may have contributed to an increased risk of dementia. The 1966 England team that won the World Cup included two players who died prematurely.

Bobby Moore and Alan Ball died at 51 and 61 respectively. Of the nine who lived beyond 65, five developed dementia as did the manager, Alf Ramsey, a former England captain. Most datasets would put the risk of the condition at 2-3 per cent for over 65s. We will only know decades hence if the current game is any safer.

There is no player more central to the history of Manchester United than Bobby Charlton. Perhaps in making them a global conversation point, he sacrificed too much. May he rest in peace. – Yours etc,