On what would have been his 75th birthday, the widow of an ex-Manchester United player who passed away from dementia is advocating for a ban on heading footballs.
After a career that saw him play for Dundee United, Blackburn Rovers, Arbroath, and Forfar Athletic, Frank Kopel passed away in 2014 at the age of 65.Reported By ItVSports.
According to his wife, Amanda Kopel, he was diagnosed with brain injuries stemming from thousands of head touches during decades of training and frequent collisions with other players’ heads when trying to head the ball during games.
She said: “Frankie and I should be celebrating today and looking forward to the rest of our lives together, instead I’ve been grieving his loss and mourning him for 10 years.
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“Football has to change because the game is a long, slow, certain killer while heading the ball is part of it.
“The game is called football not headball and the rules have to change.
“Nobody should head a ball – particularly children. Frankie loved the game but we never imagined for a moment it was so damaging.”
The couple were joined in union in 1969 and shared a home in Kirriemuir, Angus. However, Mr. Kopel developed dementia in 2008 and passed away on April 16, 2014.
Following his diagnosis, Mrs. Kopel worked with the advocacy organization Heading Out, which was started by former STV journalist Mike Edwards. Edwards gave up his job to care for his mother after she was diagnosed with dementia, and Edwards is pushing for the elimination of heading the ball by 2030.
Mike said: “We learn from an early age not to handle the ball, surely we can learn not to head it either.
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