Coroner refuses to rule out link between dementia and football at Trevor Whymark inquest

Football cannot be ruled out as a factor which led to the death of a former Diss and Ipswich Town striker, an inquest heard this week.

Trevor Whymark died in October, aged 74, having suffered with Alzheimer’s since 2019, with a post-mortem examination also citing bronchopneumonia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which had been successfully treated, as factors.

In a statement read on her behalf at the hearing in Norwich, Mr Whymark’s wife, Rita said the former striker, who was signed by Sir Bobby Robson from Diss Town FC in 1969 before playing for the Blues between 1967 and 1979, had been known for his heading ability during his playing days.

She said: “The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital undertook a brain scan to see if there was any connection to his football career and this came back inconclusive.”

Senior coroner Jacqueline Lake said questions over whether football played a part in Burston-born Mr Whymark’s dementia remained unanswered.

“Scans were carried out during Mr Whymark’s lifetime and [doctors] had commented that the results demonstrated a loss of brain tissue and decreased metabolic activity within part of the brain, which is consistent with a neurodegenerative process, such as Alzheimer’s disease,” she said.

“It was felt that the cause of death was likely attributable to brain damage, probably from his neurodegenerative disorder, with perhaps some contribution from his treated lymphoma.

“The medical cause of death is given as directly due to bronchopneumonia due to Alzheimer’s dementia and treatment of Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This is a natural cause of death.

“However, in this case, we have heard a CT scan is unlikely to resolve the question of whether Mr Whymark’s career as a footballer contributed to his condition of Alzheimer’s disease. On that basis, I do not think natural causes accurately reflects the evidence.

“Mr Whymark died from a combination of natural disease and from Alzheimer’s. The cause of the Alzheimer’s is not revealed by the evidence.”

The once-capped senior England player scored 104 goals in 322 starts and 13 sub appearances for Ipswich Town, making him the sixth-highest goalscorer in their history, and was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame in 2012.

Mr Whymark also played for Grimsby, Derby, the Vancouver Whitecaps, Southend, Peterborough and Colchester United.

After retiring from the professional game, he spent a year as player-manager of Diss Town.

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