Jeff Astle's widow: FA does not care

Jeff's widow Laraine and his daughters Dawn and Claire travelled to Westminster, where Labour MP Chris Bryant formally asked for a Parliamentary inquiry into head injuries in sport.

But they criticised the FA chairman Greg Dyke today, saying he went to Brazil without responding to the research.

The family has already met with Albion chairman Jeremy Peace and other directors at the Hawthorns to discuss how the club can support their campaign.

Today, the family was joining Mr Bryant to call on Parliament to carry out its own inquiry, along with Olympic hero Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, Dr Willie Stewart, the neurologist that carried out the re-examination on Jeff's brain, and others affected by brain injury in sport.

Laraine Astle broke down in tears as she voiced her disgust that Mr Dyke has not contacted them after he was sent advance notice of the latest examination of her husband's brain.

She said: "We thought foolishly perhaps that we would have had some reply from him as the seriousness of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) was found which left no doubt whatsoever what killed Jeff.

"We perhaps thought an email or a phone call just to say I did receive your letter and I'm so sorry to read how badly damaged Jeff's brain was and the result of it."

But she said the family have had no response from Mr Dyke.

"He's swanned off to Brazil and he's never acknowledged anything," she said.

Mrs Astle made the comments at the launch of a cross-party report, entitled Concussion Can Kill, which calls for a Parliamentary inquiry into concussion in sport.

Laraine said: "It needs to go political, because football has proven to be a killer.

"It's not just about the heavy balls that Jeff was heading, it's also about balls today, which travel quicker, and the little ones in school that play soccer – their brains are still growing.

"You can't ban heading, but let people know the risks, and put protocols in place.

"I just feel the FA, they don't care. They just want the World Cup and all the things that go with it.

"They're not bothered about former players. They're not bothered about our family's suffering."

The family said it was in stark contrast to the way in which West Bromwich Albion had handled the situation.

In their Justice for Jeff campaign, which is putting pressure on the Football Association to carry out its own inquiry into the damage done by heading balls, the family already has huge support from fans at the Hawthorns.

On the ninth minute of matches, signifying the number Jeff Astle wore, supporters stand up to applaud the campaign, and in the final home game of the season against Stoke thousands held up placards with the number nine on.