The death certificate of former Aston Villa and Southampton defender Chris Nicholl has been changed to reflect he had brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma, which his family believe was caused by playing football. Nicholl, who won 51 caps for Northern Ireland, died in February 2024 aged 77, with bronchopneumonia and a bowel condition cited on his death certificate. That was changed at a new hearing at Salisbury Coroner's Court on Thursday - after a campaign by his family. Nicholl's former partner Jane told the BBC the significance of having the death certificate amended was "so football can't say: 'No this isn't happening'". Dr Stewart told the family Nicholl's brain showed CTE, which is a type of dementia seen in those who have suffered repetitive head injuries.

Source: BBC January 29, 2026 23:17 UTC