Sunday 26 November 2017

Dementia and Football, Mansfield Town away

Football and dementia; are issues currently in the public eye due to Alan Shearer’s documentary, which aired last week. The FA have finally got round announcing that they are launching a study to see if there is a link between heading a football and suffering from dementia in later life.

We are all aware what is happening to Ernie Moss, former Mansfield player Kevin Bird is also suffering from a form of dementia, as are many others highlighted in Alan Shearer’s show. Football fans will of course say that this is something we have known all along, but science doesn’t work like that, things have to be proven in clinical tests.

For those reasons I’d like to highlight the great work undertaken by charity walkers who made it from the Proact to Field Mill on Saturday, organised by Mansfield supporter Mick Edge who raised money for Alzheimer’s and also Guide Dogs for The Blind.

Many people may ask why is there no known cure for Alzheimer’s, well science hasn’t got there yet, but it could do, if there’s enough money put into clinical trials and many think that’s where football could step in, football clearly isn’t short of money.

CLICK ON THIS LINK TO SEE MY REPORT ON THE UNIVERSITY OF LANCASTER's BREAKTHROUGH

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoE3I7qok8E&t=51s&list=PL5q5VCSdVadco-SccARdmKqP5dDrCf_pX&index=29



The University Of Lancaster under the leadership of Professor David Allsop and his team has actually developed a compound which they are confident will stop the onset of Alzheimers.
This compound can’t reverse the condition, but it is hoped it can stop things getting worse. However what is needed is money, in order start clinical trials on people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer’s, once the clinical trials are proven, then a drug could be made. How does that work? Well that’s where drug companies have to step in and decide to manufacture such a thing and put it on the market. It’s a long and costly process. Governments tend not to fund drug research it’s usually down to the private sector to do that.
There are many forms of dementia and Alzheimer’s is one of the major types that we know about, so this research is not a “cure all” but certainly a step in the right direction.

Defying Dementia http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/defyingdementia are slowly raising funds for what they hope will be a medical breakthrough which could help everyone, but they need £1-2 million pounds to even start getting clinical trials underway.

So where could that sort of cash be generated?
A fraction of the gate money from an England match, perhaps? The PFA sticking its hand in it’s pocket? A bit of spare change from a Premier League team, maybe? Football should take the lead, we really shouldn’t have to rely on blokes like Mick and his charity walk.

Sunday 19 November 2017

We won at home!

How much of a relief was the Exeter game? 3 months since our last home win,
one shot on target, one goal and three precious points.

Kristian Dennis has now scored in all of our last 5 league games, which must be some sort of a record; it’s not bad for a guy who was once loaned to Woodley Sports by Stockport County. Woodley Sports is actually a team, not a shop, if anyone was wondering. Also quite amazing to think that Dennis has not been our regular first choice striker for the whole season, he had been a sub for a number of early matches and came off the bench to score against Lincoln and Grimsby.

All the amateur pundits and rivals web sites are now wondering when we are going to sell him. Do other teams get this? Does anyone think Danny Hylton is bound to leave Luton, are teams queueing up to get Billy Kee from Accington Stanley?

I’d not have dared to have even looked at the table if we’d conceded a late goal; I haven’t got any fingernails left after the last 10 minutes of that one. I felt sure when they hit the bar they would have scored the rebound and I think we got a bit lucky near the end as I am sure Exeter had a good shout for a penalty denied as Ian Evatt seemed to be shirt pulling.


Getting Nervous

On the plus side Jerome Binnon-Williams looked immense, especially in the first half, frankly having him on the pitch is the equivalent of signing a new player. What he gave the side was someone who will take on the full back and want to get the ball in first time, it’s exactly the sort of player that’s been missing for the last season and a half, so many times this year we’ve seen players having to make up the numbers in the left back position and not have the confidence or ability to stick in a decent cross. Gary Caldwell brought him to the club and his injury was unfortunate for our former manager, as it meant that his favoured 3-5-2 formation didn’t work.

What gladdens the heart of many Spireites is Jack Lester’s interview after the game he says we are building something special here, fine words for a man whose team currently sit bottom of the table, he says the players are giving him everything, but have to work hard to stay in the team. One interesting omen is that at this stage last season Exeter City went bottom of the league but ended up in the playoffs, I’m not sticking any money on that outcome, but I think we’ll avoid the drop.