Burnley FC & Alzheimers

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Just came across this article.
https://news.sky.com/story/burnley-fc-p ... e-12131984

[CleggHall]

Yes a sad article on some of the finest footballers to grace Turf Moor, it must be heartbreaking for their loved ones. May they rest in peace.

[Burnley1989]

Thanks, interesting read and I wasn’t actual aware

[Leisure]

Very sad.

[Boss Hogg]

More prevalent across society and not just a football thing. As a side note it is a very soecialist form of care and something that the social service system is ill prepared for. Families affected by this cruel disease need more support from the government.

[ClaretTony]

Jimmy Mac, Jimmy Robson and Ray Pointer all featured but you can add Jimmy Adamson, Tommy Cummings and Brian Pilkington to that and I believe Adam Blacklaw possibly too.

There's one line in that article that reads: "Robson is a gentle and endearing man with a warm, northeast accent and retains an incredible knowledge and thirst for football despite his illness."

That sums him up perfectly.

[bobinho]

Incredibly sad that in this day and age, when someone contacts an organisation such as the PFA, they are merely sent a leaflet about hip replacement almost as a pacifier.

These ex players (not just Burnley ex players) and their families need a bit more than that.

[ClaretTony]

More prevalent across society and not just a football thing. As a side note it is a very soecialist form of care and something that the social service system is ill prepared for. Families affected by this cruel disease need more support from the government.

I know others on this board have suffered with close relatives suffering with dementia and I know others are going through it right now.

From my recollection, my dad was very late 50s when he started. Dany refers to her dad not being able to find his car. The first thing I can recollect about my dad was him making his weekly trip to the pub on a Friday night for a couple of drinks and a game of dominoes. I'd called round and he set off on the three minute journey and came back about a quarter of an hour later asking us if we knew how to get there. I took him, then me and my mum laughed and then things were fine for a while after that.

He was nearly 68 when he passed away, he'd long gone past the time when he recognised my mum, my brother or me. The man who died in August 1989 I would never want back. That wasn't the man who first took me on the Turf, took me to Wembley in 1962, that man wasn't my dad.

When my mate Brian (Box Car to some on here) started with vascular dementia it was, in some ways, even worse than my dad because I knew exactly what was coming. Brian deteriorated a lot quicker than my dad. He was just 59 when he left us.

It's not just a football thing, you are so right. I hate reading or knowing about anyone who is suffering from dementia or has passed away having suffered, because I know those close to them have been suffering so much too.

[Steve-Harpers-perm]

Very sad. An horrendous disease.

[bodge]

Interesting read and glad to hear our club are treating them properly even if the football industry as a whole isn't.

Sorry to hear about Jimmy, he sits just across the gangway from me in the BL.

[Claret Till I Die]

I believe the plan was to put something on tv tomorrow, not sure if this is still the case though

[ClaretTony]

One little story about Jimmy Robson.

He was sat a few rows behind me at Stamford Bridge back in August 2017 when we won 3-2. I can confirm he was celebrating as much as any other Burnley fan at the end too.

I thought I'd take a look to see if he'd ever scored goals for us there, might be worth just including it in my report. Did he score goals for Burnley at Chelsea? Only two hat tricks. He scored all three in a 3-1 win in January 1959 and then another three in a 6-2 win in Octobre 1960, his third hat trick in the space of six and a half weeks.

When I was a young kid and used to go down for autographs during the week when it was school holidays, Jimmy Robson was always the nicest of the lot and he once got a bollocking from the club secretary for telling us all to go inside when it was raining.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

I believe the plan was to put something on tv tomorrow, not sure if this is still the case though

Dany posted on twitter that Jimmy had done a piece for Sky Sports but didn’t say when it was going out. If it was just one of their repetitious halfhour fillers it could have already been aired.

[Bones]

My grandad was diagnosed with alzheimers 4 years ago and is nearly 87 now. He's adamant there's nothing wrong with him whenever it gets mentioned but me and my Mum just go along with it. He can remember and tell me stories of what happened in the 50's in detail but its the shorter term memory that has gone and he gets terribly mixed up at times.

[Claret Till I Die]

Dany posted on twitter that Jimmy had done a piece for Sky Sports but didn’t say when it was going out. If it was just one of their repetitious halfhour fillers it could have already been aired.

That info was from Dany

[Claret Till I Die]

My grandad was diagnosed with alzheimers 4 years ago and is nearly 87 now. He's adamant there's nothing wrong with him whenever it gets mentioned but me and my Mum just go along with it. He can remember and tell me stories of what happened in the 50's in detail but its the shorter term memory that has gone and he gets terribly mixed up at times.

Sorry to hear that Bones, it really is an awful disease.
One of the best ways of explaining dementia that I have seen is the 'bookcase analogy'

For anyone who is unaware I'd recommend looking it up via Google and although it's a simple explanation it really does make sense.

[Burnley Ace]

Incredibly sad that in this day and age, when someone contacts an organisation such as the PFA, they are merely sent a leaflet about hip replacement almost as a pacifier.

These ex players (not just Burnley ex players) and their families need a bit more than that.

Do the PFA do ongoing health insurance?

[bobinho]

Not sure, but players have paid into this organisation for years, and as such it’s in a very good position financially. So much so it could help out these ex players whose families are now struggling to cope. Players wages weren’t what they are now, and they could do with some help.
When you consider what the PFA pays it boss, it’s disappointing what it spends to help out those afflicted by this illness, whether it’s proven to be linked to the game or not.

[IanMcL]

I think you have summed it up Bobinho.

PFA have been a disgrace, on this issue.

[depechedingle]

Incredibly moving, something that is close to my heart having lost my Father in 2013 as a result of the profound effect Alzheimers had on his late years.

I regularly try and fundraise for the Alzheimers Society and with no irony meant actually signed up yesterday to do the 26 mile trek that is The Yorkshire Three Peaks in June 2021.

I would love to promote my just giving page on this with it being in the forefront of people's minds right now, however I am not sure whether we are allowed to promote charity events on here, ClaretTony or JDRobbo please advise.

[bfcjg]

Terrible illness as anyone who has witnessed loved ones suffer will vouch for. My family watched our mum wither away eventually having to go into care, the people in care homes are amazing and I would gladly pay more tax for them to have decent salaries and ample places for all who need them, we struggled to get mum into a decent home and when we did we started living again knowing she was safe with 24 hour decent care.

[huw.Y.WattfromWare]

Short piece now available on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT388ne ... e=youtu.be

[ClaretTony]

So sad to watch this video today. They were my first heroes.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Just seen the Sky News story during my lunch.

Wonderful that these families have taken this high profile step. My hat comes off to them. From darkness needs to come light and these things need bringing into the public domain. As 2020 has shown, incredible medical advances can come if the world takes it seriously enough - personally I think dementia is a top, top priority.

[ClaretTony]

Article now in the Daily Mail

http://dailym.ai/36R2cSQ

[CleggHall]

Geoff Hurst went out of his way to mention that 6 of Burnley’s 1960 Championship winning side had major Alzheimer’s problems. Radio 4 Today programme this morning.