David Beckham says football must 'come together' to support ex-players with dementia

David Beckham has voiced his support for the Football Families for Justice campaign. Credit: PA Images

David Beckham has backed a campaign to improve care for former players affected by neurodegenerative diseases by demanding more from the football authorities.

The former Manchester United star has given his support to the Football Families for Justice (FFJ) campaign, which is working on giving powers to football's independent regulator to force the games authorities to take “decisive action” on neurodegenerative diseases among ex-players.

The campaign is also working alongside the Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and the Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram.

Beckham said in a video address played at the Dementia in Football event in Manchester: “We need the football family to come together and allocate resources to help address the tragedy of these devastating diseases.

David Beckham said football must "address the tragedy" at the Dementia in Football event. Credit: PA Images

“Let’s ensure that victims and their families are treated with kindness, respect and best in class support.”

FFJ is led by John Stiles, the son of England World Cup winner Nobby Stiles who died in 2020.

A postmortem examination of the former Manchester United midfielder’s brain found he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a progressive neurodegenerative disease associated with repeated blows to the head.

FFJ wants the football authorities to develop a care and support scheme for players who develop dementia or other neurodegenerative conditions linked to their careers, and a requirement that the scheme must be agreed with past and present players and their families.

Steve Rotheram (left) and Andy Burnham (right) are working with Football Families for Justice. Credit: PA Images

Stiles said that the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) is “morally bankrupt” and criticised efforts made so far to tackle this issue.

He described the Football Brain Health Fund, set up with an initial £1million by the PFA and the Premier League in 2023, as a PR exercise.

“Football is so wealthy they could sort this out tomorrow, but we’re nowhere near getting that.

"I am so glad these gentlemen (Burnham and Rotheram) are going to take it onto another level,” Stiles said at a meeting in central Manchester.

“This is football’s problem, football should be paying for it. Not the NHS, not the taxpayer.

“We want a properly financed care fund that players know, if they get ill, they will be cared for.

Burnham said: “We do have something of a track record in standing up to things that are wrong in the game.

“I want to see if we can bring that learning and get a greater degree of justice for the people who have built the game into what it is today.”

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