Gordon McQueen diagnosed with Dementia

Norman_Conquest

Well-known member
This is awful to hear and feel for what the family are and will go through with Gordon. With dementia, you tend to lose your love ones twice.

I think football needs to be doing more to prevent future players from suffering in this way. Is it time we stopped training kids on how to head a ball. The game would change dramatically, but in any other industry, this risk would be minimised.


 
Sad news. Always enjoyed him when I seen him speak on the tele, seems a lovely bloke and very knowledgable about the game.
 
During the 96 Euro Finals, I went to Elland Rd to watch the games and before one of the matches Robbo, McQueen, Anderson and two others blokes stood chatting about the England v Switzerland result near to the players entrance. I spoke to Robbo and asked if he was eyeing any future signings up. Robbo smiled, gave a short answer and looked away. He more or or less blanked me. McQueen noticed my Boro top (the grandad style rugby shirt) and said to Robbo 'he's a Boro fan' and nodded in my direction, hinting he should talk to me. On the big fellas direction Robbo came over and made a fuss of us and signed our programmes.

Before we left, McQueen smiled and nodded, he knew he had made a fans day by telling his boss to be courteous to his supporters. A simple touch, but one I will always remember.
 
Awful news - Fischer and me became pals with Gordon during the heady days of the Robson era. We used to chat with him at the Kings Head, Hutton Rudby, he was always such good company, a great character and had so much to tell about the game. But he would always listen as well. No airs or graces but that booming voice. Above all he is a great bloke. Really sad news for Gordon and all the family.
 
The last time I met with Alan Peacock he was talking about all his former team mates suffering from dementia or related diagnosis. Norman Hunter, Jack Charlton (he and Alan were the same age), Bill Gates and the list was far longer than this. Then you have those whose life was ended prematurely through MND Don Revie and Willie Maddren. It was clearly on his mind.
 
Gordon has always spoken well about living on Teesside and the fact he has chosen to live in Hutton Rudby speaks volumes.

I remember an interview on Talksport many years ago with the London mob making fun of him living on Teesside and he gave it back to them full on about how wonderful. it was His parting shot
was to tell them to enjoy their trip home sitting for hours on the M25.

Best wishes to him
 
I have a lot time for Gordon McQueen, so sorry to hear about this.

I also didn't realise he had cancer at 58.
Yep I last saw him on a train coming back from a reunion when he was fortunately in remission - as far as other football related ailments he was plagued with ankle and leg problems. He joked about having his annual ankle operation and went through periods struggling to walk.
I always think about this when people blast clubs of today for resting players. So many of the ever presents from the past retired with horrendous injuries for life.
But this is such sad news for Gordon McQueen - I know all about vascular dementia from my own family.
 
Horrible news . Often see him walking Yarm High Street so presuming he still lives in Hutton Rudby ? Had a cracking career and a lovely chap to boot .
 
More and more ex players getting dementia, is it old age or the effects of heading football's?

Both are aspects of it; dementia is progressive , so ageing does of course play a role. I don't think anyone would now deny a link between heading the ball and its development.
That said we are now more vigilant and better at testing for early evidence of dementia, and that inevitably also means that we identify more of it.

That said, I think I'v read research showing it has higher prevalence amongst former footballers than the general population: nothing ageing and testing can't account for that. Heading can, but it would be a mistake to assume that is the only difference. Rates of depression and alcoholism are higher in footballers post-career than in the general population, and that too is a contributing factor to dementia.

I say this as a general point, not wanting to make any insinuations about this, or any individual case, but we would be foolish to rule it out as part of the pattern. If we want to do something about a problem, we have to tackle all aspects of the problem, and not make the mistake of thinking heading alone is the root of the problem.
 
A truly horrific illness, my dad was diagnosed with it a couple of years ago.
Ten million per cent no coincidence that a large percentage of footballers getting it,my old man played football for years and as a defender must have headed thousands of balls.
He's still my hero and always will be.
I'm sure Gordon will fight it with the same determination and fight he showed in his career.
 
very sad, seems a really decent guy, and obviously has great links with us. As a youth coach I have a big interest in this area, I don't want to be responsible for someone developing issues through trauma caused by my trying to train them. I don't train heading before they reach secondary school, and even then it's never on a wet day (balls are heavier), it's always short sessions, and lots of game based sessions limited to under head height.
 
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