​Nobby Stiles, the England World Cup winner famed for his rugged midfield play, died with a traumatic brain injury, a court heard on Friday as a coroner ruled that an inquest into his death must take place. The 78-year-old former Manchester United star and 1966 World Cup champion passed away after a long illness, with the brain injury chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) identified among the causes. CTE has been linked to head injuries and is often associated with repeated heading of footballs.
Chris Morris, the area coroner for Greater Manchester South, told Stockport Coroner’s Court in northwest England that a brain expert had reviewed tissue samples and medical records. Based on the presence of traumatic injury in the death certificate, Morris said a full inquest would be required to examine the circumstances surrounding Stiles’s passing.
Norbert “Nobby” Stiles, renowned for his hard-tackling style as a defensive midfielder, earned 28 England caps and made nearly 400 appearances for Manchester United. He died in October 2020 after a prolonged illness. Since his passing, his family, along with relatives of other late footballers, has campaigned for football’s governing bodies to do more to help former players cope with injuries believed to have been sustained during their playing days.
“On the basis of that cause of death, particularly the inclusion of a traumatic injury in the cause of death, I am satisfied an inquest is required into the sad death of Mr. Stiles,” Morris stated. The inquest is scheduled to begin on July 15 at the same court.
Stiles’s son, John Stiles, has previously asserted that football had “killed” his father. He is among several former players and their families who have sued England’s Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League, alleging negligence and a breach of duty of care toward former players.
Lawyers for the plaintiffs have argued that authorities knew or should have known that repeatedly heading a ball during training and matches could cause brain injuries, and that the risks have been known for decades. However, in March this year, counsel for the Football Association told the High Court that science has not yet established that heading a ball or even occasional concussions can cause permanent brain damage.
In January, an inquest into the death of Gordon McQueen—another former Leeds United, Manchester United, and Scotland defender—found that heading the ball was likely to have contributed to a brain injury that was a factor in his death. McQueen was also diagnosed with CTE. McQueen’s daughter, Hayley McQueen, a television presenter, has said that England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team has been “pretty much wiped out” by neurodegenerative diseases, with Geoff Hurst, the hat-trick hero of the final, the last living member of the starting XI to survive.
The Football Association is currently phasing out heading in youth football up to Under-11 level as part of broader safety reforms. The case surrounding Stiles’s death underscores the ongoing debate about the long-term risks associated with head injuries in football and the measures needed to protect players both during their careers and in retirement.