By . Sam Peters . English professional football has been warned it faces a ‘tsunami’ of damaging legal claims that will cripple some clubs if managers continue to over-rule doctors and allow concussed players to play on. In an exclusive interview with the Mail on Sunday, the Football Association’s senior doctor Ian Beasley this week said the NFL’s massive legal settlement with former American Footballers suffering from early on-set dementia linked to head injuries — now in excess of £870million — has set a precedent other sports would be foolish to ignore. The last Premier League season saw an alarming number of incidences where managers ignored team doctors and allowed concussed players to return to play while this summer’s World Cup in Brazil also saw players with head injuries, including Uruguay’s Alvaro Pereira and Germany’s Christoph Kramer, play on. VIDEO Scroll down to watch England players star in FA appeal to reduce concussion risks . Latest case in football: Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer was allowed to play on in the World Cup final . Eventually subbed: Kramer leaves the pitch after being concussed during Germany's match against Argentina . ‘Clubs need to be aware that if they make mistakes and something tragic happens to a player after their manager has over-ruled the medic then it’s the club and the manager who become liable,’ Dr Beasley said. ‘For smaller clubs that could break them financially. We have to make sure they understand what the consequences are. ‘What we have to point out to clubs is that if your staff start over-ruling medical staff it may not be next year or the year after, but there are going to be difficulties. In 10 or 15 years if a player comes back and says: “I’ve got long-term brain damage because of this [concussion mismanagement]” then it’s going to be extremely difficult. It will get hauled through the courts and there will be a lot of bad publicity. The clubs will suffer one way or the other. We need to make sure they understand that. ‘When you’ve got precedent of a tsunami [the NFL pay out] coming your way the best thing to do is to build your defence properly so you can withstand the tsunami. Because it could come our way there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.’ Last week the FA announced their head-injury guidelines, in conjunction with the Premier League and League Managers’ Association, which state that all players who have lost consciousness or are suspected of losing consciousness must be removed from the field immediately. Dr Beasley, along with FA chairman Greg Dyke, will hold an hour-long meeting at Wembley ahead of today’s Community Shield match with the family of former England and West Bromwich Albion centre forward Jeff Astle, who died in 2002 aged 59 suffering from dementia linked to heading footballs. A coroner found Astle’s death was caused by ‘industrial disease’ while in May this year one of the world’s pre-eminent neuropathologists, Dr Willie Stewart, re-examined tissue samples from his brain and found evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – the same disease found in brains of deceased American Footballers, boxers and rugby players. ‘The release of the concussion protocols for the new Premier League season indicate a desire to progress this issue and I’m encouraged by the FA’s leadership,’ said Dr Stewart, who will accompany Astle’s widow Laraine and daughters at today’s meeting. ‘My hope is it translates into meaningful initiatives beyond the first week of the season and that where the FA lead, other associations in football and wider sport might follow.’ Premier League case: Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was allowed to play on against Everton in November . Dyke apologised in April after a Mail on Sunday investigation found that a joint FA and PFA study into head injuries in football promised in 2002 was never completed, prompting Astle’s family to accuse the authorities of ‘sweeping the issue under the carpet’. The have since set up a ‘Justice for Jeff’ campaign and have been approached by former professional players and their families convinced they are suffering similar neurological problems to the ones he faced. The family, who are not seeking financial compensation, will ask for the FA to acknowledge their father’s death was caused — at least in part —by playing football while also calling for an extensive new research project to be established and consideration given to a body being set up to support retired players suffering dementia. ‘We know that repetitive head injury causes CTE — I think that’s reasonable from the evidence from the States —there’s still some doubt about how that applies to football,’ Beasley added. ‘That’s why we need more research. I don’t have an axe to grind one way or another. I want to make the game safe. But we need to definitively understand what playing football does to brains.’
Football Association's senior doctor Ian Beasley said massive NFL legal settlement linked with early on-set of dementia has set a precedent .
Last season a number of Premier League managers ignored team doctors and allowed players to return to the field of play during matches .
At the Brazil World Cup, Uruguay's Alvaro Pereira and Germany's Christoph Kramer were also permitted to play on .
Beasley has warned clubs of effects of letting players go back on to the pitch .
He says financial implications of settlements could break smaller clubs .
Last week FA announced head-injury guidelines which state all players who lose consciousness or suspected of doing so must be taken off immediately .
By . Sam Peters . English professional football has been warned it faces a ‘tsunami’ of damaging legal claims that will cripple some clubs if managers continue to over-rule doctors and allow concussed players to play on. In an exclusive interview with the Mail on Sunday, the Football Association’s senior doctor Ian Beasley this week said the NFL’s massive legal settlement with former American Footballers suffering from early on-set dementia linked to head injuries — now in excess of £870million — has set a precedent other sports would be foolish to ignore. The last Premier League season saw an alarming number of incidences where managers ignored team doctors and allowed concussed players to return to play while this summer’s World Cup in Brazil also saw players with head injuries, including Uruguay’s Alvaro Pereira and Germany’s Christoph Kramer, play on. VIDEO Scroll down to watch England players star in FA appeal to reduce concussion risks . Latest case in football: Germany midfielder Christoph Kramer was allowed to play on in the World Cup final . Eventually subbed: Kramer leaves the pitch after being concussed during Germany's match against Argentina . ‘Clubs need to be aware that if they make mistakes and something tragic happens to a player after their manager has over-ruled the medic then it’s the club and the manager who become liable,’ Dr Beasley said. ‘For smaller clubs that could break them financially. We have to make sure they understand what the consequences are. ‘What we have to point out to clubs is that if your staff start over-ruling medical staff it may not be next year or the year after, but there are going to be difficulties. In 10 or 15 years if a player comes back and says: “I’ve got long-term brain damage because of this [concussion mismanagement]” then it’s going to be extremely difficult. It will get hauled through the courts and there will be a lot of bad publicity. The clubs will suffer one way or the other. We need to make sure they understand that. ‘When you’ve got precedent of a tsunami [the NFL pay out] coming your way the best thing to do is to build your defence properly so you can withstand the tsunami. Because it could come our way there is absolutely no doubt in my mind about that.’ Last week the FA announced their head-injury guidelines, in conjunction with the Premier League and League Managers’ Association, which state that all players who have lost consciousness or are suspected of losing consciousness must be removed from the field immediately. Dr Beasley, along with FA chairman Greg Dyke, will hold an hour-long meeting at Wembley ahead of today’s Community Shield match with the family of former England and West Bromwich Albion centre forward Jeff Astle, who died in 2002 aged 59 suffering from dementia linked to heading footballs. A coroner found Astle’s death was caused by ‘industrial disease’ while in May this year one of the world’s pre-eminent neuropathologists, Dr Willie Stewart, re-examined tissue samples from his brain and found evidence of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) – the same disease found in brains of deceased American Footballers, boxers and rugby players. ‘The release of the concussion protocols for the new Premier League season indicate a desire to progress this issue and I’m encouraged by the FA’s leadership,’ said Dr Stewart, who will accompany Astle’s widow Laraine and daughters at today’s meeting. ‘My hope is it translates into meaningful initiatives beyond the first week of the season and that where the FA lead, other associations in football and wider sport might follow.’ Premier League case: Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was allowed to play on against Everton in November . Dyke apologised in April after a Mail on Sunday investigation found that a joint FA and PFA study into head injuries in football promised in 2002 was never completed, prompting Astle’s family to accuse the authorities of ‘sweeping the issue under the carpet’. The have since set up a ‘Justice for Jeff’ campaign and have been approached by former professional players and their families convinced they are suffering similar neurological problems to the ones he faced. The family, who are not seeking financial compensation, will ask for the FA to acknowledge their father’s death was caused — at least in part —by playing football while also calling for an extensive new research project to be established and consideration given to a body being set up to support retired players suffering dementia. ‘We know that repetitive head injury causes CTE — I think that’s reasonable from the evidence from the States —there’s still some doubt about how that applies to football,’ Beasley added. ‘That’s why we need more research. I don’t have an axe to grind one way or another. I want to make the game safe. But we need to definitively understand what playing football does to brains.’
concussed players to play on. In an exclusive Association’s senior doctor Ian Beasley this week said the NFL’s massive legal settlement with excess of £870million — has set a precedent other Premier League season saw an alarming number of incidences where managers ignored team doctors and allowed concussed players to return to play while this summer’s World Cup in Brazil also saw Alvaro Pereira and Germany’s Christoph Kramer, Beasley said. ‘For smaller clubs that could break week the FA announced their head-injury state that all players who have lost consciousness or are suspected of losing consciousness must be removed from the field