Heading a football "likely" contributed to the brain injury which was a factor in the death of former Scotland defender Gordon McQueen, a coroner has found. He said: "It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE." Prof Stewart told the inquest he found evidence of CTE - a brain disorder linked to repeated head impacts - and vascular dementia. Prof Stewart agreed with Mr Rawlinson, for the McQueen family, when he asked whether the CTE "more than minimally, negligibly or trivially" contributed to the death and that "heading the ball" contributed to the CTE. The professor said the only evidence available was McQueen's "high exposure" to heading a football.

Source: Irish Examiner January 27, 2026 02:28 UTC