Head injury case opens at High Court as group of former footballers start their fight with FA for compensation over brain injuries

A group of 19 former footballers, including three with Premier League experience, will begin their battle with the FA on Monday for compensation for brain injuries.

The potentially groundbreaking legal battle will begin with a case management hearing at the High Court, with the players’ lawyer telling Mail Sport they hope to achieve justice and raise awareness of the dangers of sport causing brain trauma.

The group consists mainly of people in their sixties and seventies, although some of them are considerably younger and showed symptoms of dementia much earlier.

Their legal team plans to request anonymity in most cases, but former Manchester United left-back Colin Gibson and John Stiles, the son of England’s World Cup-winning hero Nobby, have already gone public with their intention to settle a lawsuit. to file a lawsuit.

All players and their families are seeking damages after suffering from irreversible neurological conditions such as CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) and post-concussion.

The FA, the Welsh FA and football regulator IFAB are all facing charges. The claim follows previous legal action taken by former rugby union and rugby league players.

Lawyer Richard Boardman, of Rylands, told Mail Sport: ‘We have our first case management hearing in this football case at the High Court on Tuesday.

“We are looking for direction and a timeline from the court to move things forward. The families are seeking compensation, justice and hope to raise awareness about the dangers of traumatic brain injuries in contact sports.”

The FA declined to comment.