Ex-England captain David Watson fights to have dementia recognised as industrial injury

David Watson, the 78-year-old former England captain, is appealing to have his dementia recognised as an industrial injury arising from repeated head injuries sustained during his football career, so he can claim Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit. Doctors have described his condition as probable Alzheimer’s and probable chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurological disorder associated with repeated head trauma. Watson and his wife, Penny, 75, who has an MBE for her work around footballers with dementia, say the injuries were the result of countless headers and collisions in training and matches. The Department for Work and Pensions has rejected the claim, prompting an appeal that has now progressed to the Upper Tribunal after a first-tier tribunal found that ten documented head injuries could be described as accidents in the course of employment, but did not clearly demonstrate a direct link to loss of faculty.

Watson enjoyed a two-decade career as a centre-back, earning 65 caps for England and serving as captain on three occasions. He also played for Sunderland, Manchester City and Stoke City. The couple say the game’s enduring toll on his brain is a reality they want recognised in a formal benefits decision, not least to help other families facing similar battles. Next month’s Upper Tribunal hearing will consider whether the tribunal erred in law when it concluded that the decedents’ chronic neurological decline could have occurred even without the highlighted head injuries.

The legal fight is being led by the law firm Leigh Day on behalf of Watson, with support from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA). Ryan Bradshaw, a human rights solicitor at Leigh Day, argued that the tribunal erred by treating many of the head injuries as part of an ongoing process rather than as specific accidents. He said: “The tribunal accepted that David suffered multiple head injuries while playing professional football. The mistake it made was to treat many of them as an ongoing process rather than as discrete accidents. The law makes clear that repeated accidents can amount to an industrial injury; David was disabled by the job he loved and ought to benefit from all available assistance. We hope the Upper Tribunal will find in our favour so David’s case can be properly reconsidered.”

A DWP spokesperson said they could not comment on the individual case, noting that the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council is reviewing the connection between neurodegenerative diseases and professional sports and will consider any recommendations. The claim, if successful, would entitle Watson to Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit, a weekly payment that ranges from £45 to £225 for people who become ill or disabled due to an accident at work. Penny Watson has described the pursuit as a matter of fairness, emphasizing that the couple wants recognition of the role the game played in the illness that now affects David.

The case sits within a broader debate over the long-term health risks associated with football and other contact sports. Medical experts have long noted a potential link between repeated head trauma in sports and later neurodegenerative conditions, though official determinations of liability or compensation remain complex. The Upper Tribunal’s forthcoming decision could have implications for current and former players seeking recognition of similar injuries and benefits under UK law. Until then, Watson and his supporters proceed with the legal process, hopeful that the outcome will reflect the realities of a career defined by heading the ball and high-impact collisions that carried lasting consequences beyond the pitch.