Jeff Astle died in 2002 aged 59. Coroner's verdict was ‘death by industrial disease’. He had Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). In 2003 his family wrote to FA asking for help & to take responsibility. FA's response? A threatening legal letter. 1/n

SEVENTEEN years on from that threatening legal letter, a period in which the FA did zilch for most of it, the FA now concede that 2003 stance "did not reflect the modern organisation". Full story with @IanHerbs for the MoS.

https://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-9047175/FA-sent-legal-letter-warning-family-Jeff-Astle-not-pursue-damages-claim.html

So we asked the FA (on behalf of footballers who have died from neurodegenerative diseases or are living with them, and their families) to tell us how much (or little) they have spent, ever, on research. And they declined to give us details. 3/n

That's absolutely FA's prerogative - to be a governing body and not tell people how much or little they spend on this stuff. The MoS has been boringly banging on about this for 7 years. Thankfully the subject has well & truly reached the mainstream. 4/n

Same piece also looks at some of the, erm, complexities, of different bodies "studying" this, and who funds them, or doesn't. @WillStewNeuro doing amazing work. And @sam_sportsnews putting in the hard yards for a long time. 5/5

https://www.mailonsunday.co.uk/sport/football/article-9047175/FA-sent-legal-letter-warning-family-Jeff-Astle-not-pursue-damages-claim.html