​England’s World Cup winner Nobby Stiles died with a traumatic brain injury, a court has been told. The development comes as a coroner ordered an inquest into the death amid concerns about brain injuries resulting from heading a football. Stiles, who was 78, a former Manchester United star and 1966 World Cup winner, succumbed to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a condition linked to head trauma, which investigators say may have stemmed from repeatedly heading the ball.
Chris Morris, the area coroner for Greater Manchester South, told Stockport Coroner’s Court that a neuropathology expert had reviewed samples and medical records, and that the presence of the injury necessitated a full inquest. Stiles’s son, John, has previously stated that football had “killed” his father.
Earlier this year, an inquest into the death of Gordon McQueen, 70, a former Scotland, Manchester United, and Leeds United defender, concluded that heading the ball was “likely” to have contributed to a brain injury that played a part in his death. McQueen was also diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Hayley McQueen, McQueen’s TV presenter daughter, said that England’s 1966 World Cup-winning team had now been “pretty much wiped out” by neurodegenerative disease.
Norbert “Nobby” Stiles, born in Manchester in 1942, was known for his hard-tackling style as a defensive midfielder. He earned 28 England caps and made almost 400 appearances for Manchester United. Stiles passed away in October 2020 after a prolonged illness, and since then his family has pressed football authorities to do more to support former players dealing with injuries they claim occurred during their playing days.
Mr Morris explained that, for reasons he could not fully ascertain, Stiles’s death had not been reported to the coroner at the time and that an inquest had only begun after information was provided by the family.
The coroner noted that Stiles’s brain had been examined by neuropathology expert Dr. Daniel du Plessis. Following his review of Stiles’s medical records, Dr. Du Plessis concluded that the cause of death was Alzheimer’s disease. However, he also indicated that Stiles’s death was contributed to by high-stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and by what was described as “stage three limbic predominant age-related TDP-43” and small vessel cerebrovascular disease.
Mr Morris continued, stating: “Based on that cause of death, particularly the inclusion of a traumatic injury as a contributing factor, I am satisfied that an inquest is required into the sad death of Mr Stiles.”
The coroner set a date for a full inquest to be held on Wednesday, July 15, at the same court. John Stiles, Nobby Stiles’s son, attended a dementia in football event in Manchester earlier this year.