Heading for Trouble: Football’s Head Impact Crisis — And How We Save the Game

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'This is the book that every fan, player and administrator must read' – Professor Tony Collins

'Meticulously researched book [and] long overdue' – Professor Jean Williams

Headers are thrilling. But football is facing a concussion crisis. Is heading worth it?

Heading the ball is considered as much a part of football as passing, tackling and shooting. Pelé, Cristiano Ronaldo, Robin Van Persie – all have executed memorable headers. But the impact can cause lasting damage. Heading for Trouble is an essential exposé on this dynamic yet increasingly controversial skill.

The human brain is a jelly, floating in a protective fluid, and there is clear scientific evidence that even minor impacts, such as heading, can lead to a neurodegenerative brain disease. Through new research and exclusive interviews with former players and neurological experts, Dr Kevin Moore, consultant researcher and founding director of the National Football Museum, explores the fascinating history of heading in football and the dangerous, frequently tragic consequences it can cause. He highlights the football establishment’s inaction and exposes what may be the game’s greatest ever scandal.

Heading for Trouble brilliantly brings this urgent issue into sharp focus and explores how football and heading can move forward without such tragic cost to its players.

• Publication date: 22 October 2026
• Page count: 240
• Dimensions: Height 242 mm; Width 162 mm; Thickness 27 mm
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9781399428224