Heading 'likely' a factor in McQueen's death, coroner finds
Repetitive heading of a football likely played a part in the death of former Manchester United and Scotland defender Gordon McQueen, a coroner found on Monday.
McQueen died aged 70 at his home in north Yorkshire in June last year due to pneumonia.
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But he had become frail and bed-bound for the months beforehand due to a combination of vascular dementia and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
"It is likely that repetitive head impacts sustained by heading the ball while playing football contributed to the CTE," coroner Jon Heath said.
McQueen also played for Leeds during a 16-year playing career, helping them to win the English top flight in 1973/74 and playing a key role in their run to the European Cup final in 1975.
He then joined rivals United in 1978 and went on to win the FA Cup in 1983.
His daughter, TV presenter Hayley McQueen, told the inquest earlier this month that her father said "heading a football for all those years" had not helped his condition.
BREAKING: Heading a football likely contributed to the brain injury that was a factor in the death of former Scottish footballer Gordon McQueen, a coroner's inquest has foundhttps://t.co/ZCDgLLpeOR
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube pic.twitter.com/A1eQzwzMKy — Sky News (@SkyNews) January 26, 2026
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