Chris Nicholl

Chris has apparently been giving an interview in which he mentions he has brain damage from heading a football so often.


[url]http://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/heading-footballs-has-caused-me-brain-damage-former-grimsby-town-defender-chris-nicholl/story-30048953-detail/story.html[/url]


I suppose it is hardly surprising if he was practising by having Ray Graydon fire 100 long balls at him after regular training had finished, and those footballs were the old fashioned type.

Such a shame because Chris was one of the most intelligent footballers I ever met which is perhaps why he enjoyed such a good partnership with Kev Moore. As assistant manager he was also one of the most clued up in the game. Ironic though isn't it  that both he and Kev should have suffered from this heading business.

Yeah, it's a shame but i think this is something that will emerge more. Something similar happened in America with ex pro footballers (the padded suit variety) showing signs of brain damage and dementia from all the hits they took. Of course, the owners denied it but subsequent study has shown it to be very real. My other half works in this area and sees a few ex footballers with early onset dementia and alzheimer's. Hopefully steps can be taken to minimize the damage and the lighter footballs we now use will help in that regard. I'm old enough to remember playing with an old leather lace up ball at school. When wet, it nigh on knocked you out when you headed it.

He was unbeatable on that rainy night at Goodison Park in 1984. One of the best performances ever by a Grimsby Town player.

I think it wont be long before heading the ball is stopped in soccer. Remember Jeff Astles wife in the papers recently?
The evidence is mounting up and clubs dont want to be liable for huge compensation claims later on.Once this has come to light you cant plead ignorance if you continue doing it to escape liability.

Can you really see a ban on heading a ball taking place. It is part of football. They might as well stop players running and kicking the ball because they might pull a muscle or end up with overuse arthritis in old age like several of us on the Fishy.  All the players could be forced to wear crash helmets    It's only snowflakes that have brought this up again and there is not one chance in a million that this will take place. I bet it was a 3ft6ins.centre forward who suggested this again  

I remember the excitement at signing him. He just oozed class and experience. I was made up when JT announced him as his co-commentator a couple of seasons back, hopefully full of tales of his time at Town but he sadly admitted to JT that he coudn't remember much of his time here. A real shame.

It's already banned at certain ages in the USA

http://www.independent.co.uk/s.....juries-a6728341.html

Quoted from golfer

Can you really see a ban on heading a ball taking place. It is part of football. They might as well stop players running and kicking the ball because they might pull a muscle or end up with overuse arthritis in old age like several of us on the Fishy.  All the players could be forced to wear crash helmets    It's only snowflakes that have brought this up again and there is not one chance in a million that this will take place. I bet it was a 3ft6ins.centre forward who suggested this again  

Or a 6 inch pianist?

A few years back I would have agreed Golfer. But a few years back I never thought I would see pubs with no ash trays and tackling in football virtually banned but it is. Physical contact seems to mean automatic foul in the Prem these days and most of this stuff is handed down from on high in FIFA. So I wouldn't rule out a heading ban even with today's beach balls.

It's here if you want to avoid a bamboozling Telegraph site http://www.dailymail.co.uk/spo.....good-times-well.html

Quote "Nicholl has invited Sportsmail to his one-bedroom flat in the Midlands, where he lives alone, so he can relive the highlights. 'Sorry it's messy,' he says. 'There's not much room in here.'Inside, a small old-fashioned electric heater, with light shimmering behind fake flaming logs, warms the cramped room. Stuff is everywhere. A laminated 2005 Moor Hall Golf Club Millennium Trophy winner certificate sits on the mantelpiece, alongside a black and white photograph of himself as a child and one in colour of his daughter at school.
'I'm divorced,' he says, then jokes: 'No-one will have me now!'
A long cardboard box in the middle of the room acts as a coffee table and is piled high


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/spo.....l.html#ixzz4VTADiJGY
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Such a legend here he dominated the defence was so cool always in total command and he read the game superbly, probably the best I have seen in defence along with Paul Futcher.

Sad to hear his life and health as gone down hill after a fantastic playing career at many top clubs including his country.

Some of those pictures are fantastic makes Shaun Pearson look like a girl private !

Quoted from livosnose

Some of those pictures are fantastic makes Shaun Pearson look like a girl private !

The Lawrie McMenemy era was just before my time following Town, but he looks like a giant in those pictures.
And that's allowing for the fact he is stood between Alan Ball and Kevin Keegan

Not much got past Chris Nicol. He was like a giant magnet when he played for us. Balls would somehow be attracted to his bonce and before you knew it we were on the attack again.

Don't know the technicalities but agree all that heading must have had an effect on players.

Sad outcome to a great career

We aren't allowed to teaching heading the ball in PE lessons any more because of this worry, we're supposed to stop the kids from doing it as well, but well...

I think a ban on heading the ball direct from a goal keepers clearance has been mentioned as a solution, which seems plausible. It was the big goalie hoofs direct on players heads that were the highest proportion of 'damage causing' headers according to the article. Once the ball bounced no problem in heading it. The other crosses, lofted passes etc caused far less impact on the head.
That's how I remember it anyway but then again I have headed a ball in my youth so I might be wrong!

It wasn't too bad heading the ball when I played. As long as you avoided the laces !!

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Not much got past Chris Nicol. He was like a giant magnet when he played for us. Balls would somehow be attracted to his bonce and before you knew it we were on the attack again.

Don't know the technicalities but agree all that heading must have had an effect on players.

Sad outcome to a great career

He was great with players off the park as well. This was the team of Drinkell, Wilkinson, Lund & co and Nicholl was such an experienced and clever bloke I'm sure Wilkie for instance would say he was a big influence. The partnership with Kev Moore was almost invincible.

The trouble with this kind of brain damage is that you don't know what else it has affected apart from the memory. It can alter personality and lead to all manner of life changing issues which might explain his current situation.

A ban on headers would certainly make taking corners interesting

I am at an age where I remember the old laced up Leather balls believe me you did not want to head one of those wet through.

Even dry heading the laces was a headache.

Alternatively when it dried out it went completely out of shape and became a uncontrollable bag of wind.

Quoted from Civvy at last

It wasn't too bad heading the ball when I played. As long as you avoided the laces !!

state of you and at your height you must have had plenty of laces to the head

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

I am at an age where I remember the old laced up Leather balls believe me you did not want to head one of those wet through.

Even dry heading the laces was a headache.

Alternatively when it dried out it went completely out of shape and became a uncontrollable bag of wind.

'uncontrollable bag of wind'

Sounds like me most Sunday mornings 😊