Justice for Jeff Astle: Daughter condemns 'inexcusable' delays in head injuries probe after West Brom legend's death

Nearly two years after Dawn Astle met with FA representatives in 2014, the 48-year-old who lost her dad to football is next week meeting with Dr Charlotte Chaury, the FA's new head of performance medicine.

Ms Astle is hoping to finally get some answers to the questions she gave to the FA in 2014 which they promised to pass on to football's global governing body, Fifa.

But she's not optimistic considering last month she received an FA response saying her questions would be sent to Fifa 'imminently', more than a year after she was told they would forward on the request for an independent study.

"We're nearly two years on from meeting the FA in August 2014, and we're no further on in regards to the research," said Ms Astle.

"I thought that was inexcusable and indefensible. The lack of respect that showed to all those players and families who have watched their loved ones stripped of all human nature was beyond words. I'm very frustrated, very tired, and sick of these empty gestures and excuses."

FA chairman Greg Dyke has responded to Ms Astle in the last month with an apology after it emerged that four of the eight surviving players of England's 1966 World Cup winning team are suffering from memory problems.

The issue is now getting attention in the national media, but the Astle family have been campaigning for research into head injuries in football ever since Dawn's dad – nicknamed 'The King' by Albion fans – was judged to be killed by heading heavy footballs.

"I know the guidelines have been put in for head injuries, but that's not what this is about, it's about long-term research," she said.

"Dad's inquest was 14 years ago, coroner said his job had killed him, we didn't say it. Fourteen years, and none of those questions have been answered, it's shocking,

"If this had been any other industry where a coroner had ruled industrial diseased there would have been earthquake-like repercussions.

"Why aren't they doing anything? This is something that is killing former players.

"It's not about banning heading, the key term is 'informed choice'.

"You can go to kids football and say this is what could happen, let them make informed choices.

"They have an ethical and a moral obligation to future generations to do the right studies, independently."

A spokesperson for the FA highlighted their new guidelines for head injuries released in November 2015, and explained their decision to defer it to Fifa by saying: "If the FA acts alone, the findings are less powerful and more likely to result in vague conclusions."

Dr Chaury wasn't at the FA when Ms Astle met with representatives in 2014, and so The King's daughter is going to next week's meeting with an open mind.

"It's basically to update us on what's been done which is a bit bizarre because I'm not sure anything's been done," said Ms Astle.

"I'm just going to go and listen. To be fair to Dr Charlotte, I met her at a conference in Glasgow before she was at the FA. It seemed that it was something she realised the importance of."