Four former Premier League players and the family of the late Joe Kinnear are part of a group of 35 ex-footballers taking legal action against football’s governing bodies over brain injuries allegedly sustained during their careers. The case returns to the Royal Courts of Justice on Wednesday for a routine case management conference ahead of a potential trial.
The claimants accuse the Football Association (FA), English Football League (EFL), Football Association of Wales (FAW), and the International Football Association Board (Ifab) of negligence for failing to take reasonable steps to protect players from permanent injury caused by repetitive concussive and subconcussive blows. Solicitors have submitted more than 8,000 pages of medical records and documents for the first 17 claimants alone.
Six claimants have died during the litigation process, including former Wimbledon and Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, who passed away last month. The players reportedly suffer from irreversible neurological conditions such as early onset dementia, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, post-concussion syndrome, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease, and motor neurone disease.
Richard Boardman, solicitor for the players at Rylands Garth, accused the authorities of delaying proceedings. “The defendants are going to remarkable lengths to delay proceedings and are already in breach of court protocols to disclose documents,” he said. An FA spokesperson declined to comment on ongoing legal matters but emphasised the organisation’s commitment to player safety and research into brain injuries. The FAW similarly stated it could not comment but stressed player welfare remains paramount.
The next hearing related to brain injuries is scheduled for 20 May, when lawsuits in rugby union and rugby league will be heard together for the first time.
