Northallerton, North Yorkshire – A coroner has concluded that repeatedly heading a football "likely" contributed to the brain injury that factored into the death of former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen. McQueen, who earned 30 caps for Scotland between 1974 and 1981 and had a 16-year career playing for Manchester United and Leeds United, passed away at his home in North Yorkshire in June 2023 at the age of 70.
The inquest into McQueen's death was held earlier this month in Northallerton. Senior coroner Jon Heath determined that the cause of death was pneumonia, resulting from a combination of vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a brain condition linked to repeated head injuries and blows to the head. Delivering a narrative conclusion on Monday, Coroner Heath stated, "It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE".
Hayley McQueen, a TV presenter and Gordon McQueen's daughter, was present in court for the findings. Earlier in the inquest, she testified that her father had spoken about the potential link between his dementia and his career as a footballer. According to Hayley, when asked if anything in his past might have caused his dementia, McQueen said, "heading a football for all those years probably hasn't helped". She also recalled that he suffered concussions during his career and would simply "head back out and play". Hayley also remembered her father returning from training with Manchester United and lying in a darkened room due to headaches.
McQueen's family noticed changes in his personality after he turned 60. Hayley described him as becoming more withdrawn, a stark contrast to his previously sociable and outgoing nature. She also noted that he would say he did not feel "right in himself" and that "there's something not right in my head". McQueen also developed issues with balance and swallowing.
Following his death, McQueen's family donated his brain to Professor Willie Stewart, a consultant neuropathologist at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Stewart, an expert in brain injury in sports, found evidence of both CTE and vascular dementia, but no signs of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. While he could not determine the exact contribution of CTE to McQueen's dementia symptoms, he affirmed a "clear and strong association" between repeated head injuries and neurodegenerative changes.
McQueen was a prominent figure in Scottish football, earning 30 caps for his country between 1974 and 1981. He began his career with St Mirren before moving to Leeds United in 1972. He later joined Manchester United in 1978 and won the FA Cup in 1983. After retiring as a player, McQueen had coaching spells at Airdrie and St Mirren, and spent five years as a coach at Middlesbrough. He also worked as a pundit for Scottish TV and Sky Sports. McQueen's diagnosis of vascular dementia was announced in 2021.
