Sir Alex Ferguson among football stars calling for brain injury recognition

Some of Scotland’s most well-known football stars, including Sir Alex Ferguson, have joined a campaign for brain injuries in former professionals to be recognised as industrial injuries.

As well as the former Manchester United manager, Alex Mcleish, Gordon Strachan and Craig Levein have signed an open letter to the Scottish Government.

Leanne Crichton, Joe Harper, Maurice Malpas, Alan Rough, Pat Nevin are also among the 31 signatories.

The campaign, called Injury Time, is being organised by Labour MSP Michael Marra.

It comes in the wake of research showing that former footballers have higher dementia rates than the general population.

Mr Marra said recognising this as an industrial injury will lead to ex-players getting the benefits and care they need.

Sir Alex said football had been good to him but he knows that many of his colleagues have been left with life-changing illnesses as a result of the sport.

He said: “Making a living, running out in front of tens of thousands of people to help them make memories that will last a lifetime was a real privilege.

“It’s clear though that playing the game has taken a huge toll on many of my former team-mates and opponents, the head knocks they took – primarily from heading the ball, has left them much more likely to suffer brain injuries and neurodegenerative disease than would otherwise have been the case.

“This should be recognised as the industrial injury it is and those boys who didn’t retire into luxury should have the access to benefits and extra support they might need.”

Mr Marra said he was grateful to the footballers who had signed the letter, calling it an “unprecedented” intervention.

He said: “These injuries were sustained playing for us, for our entertainment.

“We now have a duty to support those players and their families to live the best lives they can.

“These players did not make fortunes from the game – very far from it.

“This was another age but even today the average lifetime earnings of a professional footballer in Scotland remain low in terms of the population as a whole.”

He added: “I’m pleased that the First Minister has indicated his willingness today to look at this issue and work across the parliament to deliver change.”