A full inquest is to be held into the death of Nobby Stiles after a coroner ruled that findings of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in the former England and Manchester United midfielder make such a hearing necessary.

Chris Morris, area coroner for Greater Manchester South, made the ruling at Stockport coroner's court following a review of Stiles's medical records by neuropathology expert Dr Daniel du Plessis. The expert concluded that while Alzheimer's disease was the primary cause of death, high-stage CTE — along with small vessel cerebrovascular disease and a further degenerative condition — contributed to his passing. CTE has been associated with repeated head traumas, which Stiles's family and campaigners argue stemmed from decades of heading a football.

Stiles, born in Manchester in 1942, died in October 2020 at the age of 78. He was capped 28 times by England, played close to 400 matches for Manchester United, and remains one of the most celebrated figures from England's 1966 World Cup triumph. Despite that legacy, his family was forced to sell his winner's medals to meet the costs of his dementia care in his later years.

A Case That Fell Through the Cracks

Mr Morris told the court that, for reasons he described as not entirely clear to him, Stiles's death had not been reported to the coroner's office at the time it occurred. The investigation only got under way after Stiles's family came forward with information. The coroner said that, on the basis of a traumatic injury being included in the recorded cause of death, he was satisfied a full inquest was required. That hearing is scheduled for Wednesday at the same court in Stockport.

Family's Long Campaign

Stiles's son John has been at the forefront of efforts to push football's governing bodies to take greater responsibility for the welfare of former players. John Stiles heads Football Families for Justice, a campaign group that includes dozens of ex-footballers and their relatives who are suing the Football Association, the Football Association of Wales, and the English Football League. The claimants allege those bodies were negligent and breached their duty of care by failing to protect players from the known risks of repeatedly heading a ball during training and matches.

Earlier this year, lawyers representing the FA told the High Court that science had not established a causal link between heading a football and permanent brain damage — a position that campaigners and bereaved families contest fiercely.

Wider Pattern of Neurodegenerative Disease

The Stiles inquest follows a similar ruling in January concerning Gordon McQueen, the former Scotland, Manchester United and Leeds United defender who died aged 70. That inquest found 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.

A 2019 study co-funded by the FA and the Professional Footballers' Association found that professional footballers were three-and-a-half times more likely to die of neurodegenerative disease than comparable members of the general population. The FA has since moved to phase out heading in youth football up to under-11 level by 2026, though critics argue the response from the governing bodies remains inadequate given the scale of harm already done to former players.

For John Stiles and the wider Football Families for Justice group, Wednesday's inquest represents another step in a fight they say they are waging on behalf of an entire generation of players who gave everything to the game.

Frequently asked

What is CTE and how is it linked to football?
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain condition associated with repeated head traumas. In football, campaigners and medical experts argue it can result from years of heading the ball during training and matches. It can only be formally diagnosed after death through examination of brain tissue.
What is Football Families for Justice?
Football Families for Justice is a campaign group led by John Stiles, son of Nobby Stiles. It represents dozens of former professional footballers and their families who are taking legal action against the FA, the FAW, and the EFL, alleging those bodies were negligent in failing to protect players from the risks of heading a football.
When is the Nobby Stiles inquest taking place?
The full inquest into Nobby Stiles's death is scheduled to be held on Wednesday at Stockport coroner's court, following the ruling by area coroner Chris Morris that a formal hearing was required.