Ian Alexander scrutinizes the signature on the 34-year-old’s Bristol Rovers shirt, searching for clues to the identity of the team-mate with whom he shared the biggest day of his career.
The 61-year-old remembers little about the 1990 Leyland Duff Trophy final at Wembley, but he was carried off on a stretcher before half-time after a sneering challenge from Tranmere’s Neil McNab. I don’t remember much other than being exposed, but those injuries pale in comparison to the severity of the injuries. His brain was preserved throughout his 13-year career.
Alexander was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in May, a neurological disease thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head, and doctors gave him two to six years to live. did. Since then, the deterioration of his health has been so dramatic that he frequently visits his beyond to watch over his beloved Rover due to anxiety and panic attacks, and the risk of swallowing his tongue. Restricted to soft food diet. Less than 20 minutes after an inspiring, funny and life-affirming morning at work, the soft-spoken Scotsman starts repeating himself.
Despite all this, Alexander considers himself “lucky” because the diagnosis brought him clarity after years of confusion, bewilderment and fear. A chance email from the Bristol Rovers Former Players Association in January prompted Alexander to undergo testing. His wife, Janet, was diagnosed with dementia on the NHS and hopes that medication will be available to treat the chronic headaches and tremors that often keep her awake. His treatment is limited to paracetamol.
Since being diagnosed with CTE, Alexander has joined a group of around 60 former footballers who are taking legal action against the Football Association over brain injuries sustained during their careers, including the late Nobby. The families of Styles and Joe Kinnear are also being heard as part of the suit. High Court. Most retain the right to anonymity, but Alexander, who spoke to the Guardian, became the second former player to go public after Aston Villa’s 1982 European Cup winner Colin Gibson. Ta.
“I want more people to know about brain injuries sustained by soccer players,” Alexander says. “I’m not interested in getting money out of it. I just want to get the word out. About six months ago I was in a pub with four or five former players. When I talked to them, they said, “That’s weird. The same thing is happening to me.” I’m sure there are many. I just want to educate them so more people can go and seek help. ”
Alexander’s problems began several years ago, when a decline in his memory prevented him from continuing his work as a painter and decorator. Frequent trips to the GP increased his frustration. Despite being in his 50s, he was repeatedly told that his symptoms were simply a sign of aging.
“I was painting on set, went out to lunch, came back, and had no idea where I was supposed to be,” Alexander says. “I would go back to the wrong room and start painting somewhere else. I would get to the point where I couldn’t go any further.
“A few years ago I went to see a doctor in Glasgow and said I was feeling unwell, depressed and anxious. They just said it was senility. All I said was, “You’re old, you’re old.”
Since then, Alexander’s condition has worsened significantly and he has turned to his wife, Janet, for help. Their Bristol home is filled with love, support and humor, and they also look after Janet’s daughter Carla, who is disabled due to chronic arthritis.
“I take care of her, and she takes care of Karla,” says Alexander with a smile. “I say don’t worry about me!”
Janet, who has her own neurological disease, fibromuscular dysplasia, which means she is blind on the right side of her body, is clearly a remarkable woman. Compassion and courage were the cornerstones of Janet’s life. She lost her two daughters to cystic fibrosis at an early age. But when she talks about her family’s situation, there’s not a hint of resentment.
“I look after Jockey (Ian) and he looks after me,” she says. “He still likes to go and watch football, but sometimes it’s too much for him. He just nods at me and then we leave. Rovers fans love him. , it can be quite tiring because everyone wants to talk to him. I can’t even go to the supermarket when he comes. Shopping takes hours.”
“She can’t trust me, so I have to go shopping with her,” says Alexander. “The other day she sent me out to buy milk and bread, and I came back with a tank of fuel. My phone is like a shopping list now. Every time you leave, you need a list to make sure you come back safely.
“Sometimes I try to open the fridge and just stand there, not knowing what I’m looking for. I’m on a soft food diet right now anyway, so I don’t know why it’s in the fridge in the first place. I I have to cut up all my food like a baby. Apparently my brain isn’t sending the right messages to my tongue and I’m having episodes where I’m choking.”
Alexander started his career at Rotherham as a centre-forward under former England captain Emlyn Hughes, and after brief spells at Motherwell and Pesopolikos Larnaca, he became a club legend at Rovers.
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He was converted to right-back by manager Jerry Francis, but he also played up front, often colliding head-to-head with opposing centre-backs. His medical records show he suffered at least four serious concussions during his career, including a shocking incident in which he swallowed his tongue in a 1988 FA Cup first round match against Fisher Athletic. was also included.
“I almost died on the pitch once,” he says. “Right from the kick-off the ball was played towards me and out of nowhere the centre-half came and hit me. Our heads collided and the next thing I remember was being in the hospital. I had my tongue and my dentures. I swallowed half the board. They said I had 20 or 30 seconds left before I died.
“It happened on the Saturday and by Wednesday I was training again. I was due to play the following Saturday but Jerry said he would give me another week off so it took me two weeks to come back. I didn’t think about the risk. It was my job, you know. You got the knock, you did it, and you moved on. Now it’s all coming to light.”
Alexander revealed that Rovers did not have a doctor on hand for Fisher’s match. “The referee should not have started the match because there was no doctor,” he says. “The club doctor was stuck in traffic and couldn’t see me until I was in hospital. We never actually saw a doctor. It was just physics.
“If it hadn’t been for Roy Doering, the club physiotherapist, I would have definitely died. I swallowed my tongue and the plate of my dentures broke and half went down my throat. I carried a piece of metal with me. He turned it over and took my tooth out.”
Alexander looks back on his football career with fondness, but also with sadness for what it might have brought him. “I had a good life, but looking back, I think I could have had a better life now,” he says. “I’m paying the price now, I played 299 games for Bristol Rovers but it wasn’t enough to get me to 300 games.
“In 1990 we won the (Third Division) league. Bristol City were second so it was quite a year. We also got to Wembley that season but lost to Tranmere in the final. I played at Anfield, St James’s Park, Ibrox and Parkhead. I had some good days and made some good friends.
“The doctors gave me two to six years, but they said I’m pretty healthy. I’m not going to give in. I’m going to fight to the end. I have a wife and kids around me. We have a good team, and if this word gets across to Rovers fans, I’ll be rooting for them too.”
