The money is helping families now – Penny Watson praises new dementia fund

The wife of former England captain Dave Watson, pictured third right, has welcomed the creation of a new fund to support ex-players living with dementia (PA)

The wife of former England captain Dave Watson has welcomed the creation of a new fund designed to support ex-professionals living with neurodegenerative disease.

The Brain Health Fund, which has an initial £1million available immediately to support former players and their loved ones, has been set up by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and the Premier League.

It has faced criticism from some quarters, including the family of former Manchester United and England midfielder Nobby Stiles, who had been living with dementia for many years prior to his death in 2020.

However, Penny Watson, whose husband Dave won 65 caps for England between 1974 and 1982 and who is now living with dementia, believes the PFA and the Premier League deserve enormous credit.

Watson, herself a critic of the PFA under its former chief executive Gordon Taylor, told the PA news agency things had “drastically changed” at the union under his successor Maheta Molango.

She added: “I am so thankful to the PFA and the Premier League for finally formalising the fund and the determination and hard work of several people specifically – Adam White, Rachel Walden and Dawn Astle at the PFA and Nick Perchard at the Premier League, they have been working very, very hard to try and negotiate this.

“They should be proud that the money now, as we speak, is actually helping families. I do get involved with families, I know the situation a lot of them are in.”

Consultants believe Dave Watson is suffering from the progressive brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).

CTE is associated with