Bristol Rovers legend Ian Alexander reveals he has been given two to 6 years to dwell as he takes authorized motion towards the FA.

In Might, the 61 12 months outdated was recognized with continual traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurological situation believed to brought on by repeated blows to the pinnacle, leaving him with extreme harm to his mind sustained throughout his 13-year profession.

The deterioration of his well being means he struggles to get himself unable to attend matches attributable to nervousness and panic assaults, in addition to the specter of swallowing his tongue, confining him to solely having gentle meals.

Ian’s spoke in an interview with The Guardian about being recognized with continual traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and the way he’s joined 60 former footballers pursuing authorized motion towards the Soccer Affiliation concerning mind accidents incurred throughout their taking part in careers.

This group additionally contains the households of the late Nobby Stiles and Joe Kinnear, who’re concerned within the ongoing case within the excessive court docket.

Former footballer Colin Gibson additionally opened up on his early-onset dementia analysis in 2022, urging folks to get examined.

Ian says he’s “fortunate” as a result of he has a analysis after years of concern and confusion.

He obtained an e mail from the Bristol Rovers Former Gamers Affiliation in January 2024, resulting in Alexander getting himself checked out.

His spouse, Janet, now hopes a dementia analysis from the NHS will observe, opening up larger entry to treatment, attempting to assist those that undergo from with continual complications and tremors, one thing which Ian has and may forestall him from sleeping. The one method he tries to cope with that’s by taking paracetamol.

“I simply need extra folks to learn about mind accidents suffered by footballers,” Alexander says.

“I don’t care about getting cash out of it. I simply need to get the phrase out. About six months in the past I used to be with 4 or 5 ex-players within the pub. I used to be telling them about my issues and so they mentioned: ‘That’s unusual, it’s occurring to me as effectively.’ There have to be so lots of them. I simply need to assist educate them so extra of them go to get assist.”

He remembers issues beginning just a few years in the past, beginning to lose his reminiscence, making his job difficult, and journeys to the GP had been wanted, solely to be advised that his signs had been merely these of outdated age, but he was in his 50s on the time of attempting to get solutions for his reminiscence loss.

UTG pic.twitter.com/pwNrOlEJNd

— Ian Alexander (@jockalexander63) Might 6, 2023

Me a d the grandkids pic.twitter.com/UfYJEZ078J

— Ian Alexander (@jockalexander63) October 9, 2021

“I’d be at a website portray, exit to get some lunch, and after I got here again I’d don’t know the place I used to be speculated to be,” Alexander says. “I’d return to the flawed room and begin portray elsewhere. It reached some extent the place I couldn’t go on.

“I went to see medical doctors in Glasgow a few years in the past and advised them I didn’t really feel proper – I used to be depressed, had nervousness. They simply mentioned it was outdated age. All I may get from them was: ‘You’re getting outdated, you’re getting outdated.’”

His situation has worsened since then with spouse Janet serving to him. The couple additionally take care of Janet’s daughter Carla, registered disabled owing to continual arthritis.

“I take care of her and she or he takes care of Carla,” Alexander says. “I inform them to not fear about me!”

Janet can also be coping with a neurological situation, often known as fibromuscular dysplasia, blind on her proper facet. She has already been by way of a lot, having additionally misplaced two daughters to cystic fibrosis once they had been younger adults.

She mentioned to the Guardian: “I take care of Jocky [Ian] and he takes care of me. He likes to go to the soccer nonetheless, however generally it’s an excessive amount of for him. He simply provides me a nod, then we depart. The Rovers followers love him and all need to speak to him, so it may be fairly draining. I can’t even get around the grocery store when he comes – the procuring takes hours!”

“We now have to buy groceries collectively as she will be able to’t belief me,” Alexander says. “The opposite day she despatched me out for milk and bread, and I got here again with a tank of gas! My cellphone is sort of a procuring listing now. Each time I depart the home I would like a listing to ensure I get again OK.

“I generally go to open the fridge and simply stand there, with no thought what I’m on the lookout for. I’m on a soft-food food plan now anyway so I don’t know why I’m within the fridge within the first place. All my meals must be chopped up like a child’s. Apparently my mind isn’t sending the suitable messages to my tongue so I’m not swallowing stuff correctly. I’ve choking episodes.”

Alexander mirrored on his taking part in profession, wherein he had at least 4 critical concussions, with one very critical incident coming in an FA Cup First Spherical tie towards Fisher Athletic in 1988.

“I practically died on the pitch as soon as,” he says. “Proper from the kick-off the ball was performed as much as me, and a centre-half got here out of nowhere and smashed me. There was a conflict of heads and the subsequent factor I keep in mind is being in hospital. I’d swallowed my tongue and half my denture plate. They advised me I used to be about 20 or 30 seconds away from demise.

“That occurred on a Saturday and I used to be coaching once more by Wednesday. I used to be speculated to play the subsequent Saturday, however Gerry mentioned he’d give me one other week off so it was a fortnight earlier than I got here again. I didn’t take into consideration the dangers. It was my job, wasn’t it? You took the knocks, bought on with it, and went once more. Now it’s all coming to gentle.”

On the time, his membership didn’t have a physician in attendance for the sport. “The referee shouldn’t have began the sport as a result of the physician wasn’t there,” he says. “The membership physician was caught in visitors and I didn’t see him till I used to be within the hospital. We by no means noticed the physician actually; it was simply physios.

“If it wasn’t for the membership physio Roy Dolling, I’d positively have died. I swallowed my tongue, my denture plate snapped and half of it went down my throat. He used to hold a chunk of metallic in his kitbag. He flipped it down and pulled my tooth out.

“I had a superb life, however trying again, I believe I may have a greater life now,. I’m paying the value now. I performed 299 video games for Bristol Rovers – I wasn’t ok to make 300!

“We gained the [Third Division] league in 1990. Bristol Metropolis had been second, so it was fairly a 12 months. We additionally bought to Wembley that season, however misplaced within the closing to Tranmere. I performed at Anfield, St James’ Park, Ibrox, Parkhead. I had good days, good instances. Made some good associates.

“The medical doctors gave me two to 6 years, however they are saying I’m fairly match. I’m not going to present in. I’m going to struggle it until the tip. I’ve bought a superb workforce round me with my spouse and children. And as soon as the phrase will get out to Rovers followers I’ll have them behind me too.”

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