Colchester United legend Bobby Hunt on Scottish FA heading ban

All adult clubs in Scotland - including professional sides - are being told to reduce to one session per week any exercises that involve repetitive heading.

Experts believe there might be a connection to repetitive heading of the football, with guidelines showing former players were three-and-a-half times more likely to die from brain disease.

Hunt, who played nearly 150 times for the club between 1959 and 1964, was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in 2015.

The 80-year-old former striker believes the Scottish Football Association's decision to reduce repetitive heading is a sensible move - but insists youngsters should not be scared of heading now that footballs are made much differently.

"When we played, the balls were really, really heavy," said Hunt, who first spoke about living with Alzheimer’s disease in 2016, when research established a link between heading footballs and dementia.

"I think it's a sensible move for heading to be banned in training the day before and day after a game.

"We did do a lot of heading in training, six days a week sometimes.

"The balls are a lot lighter now and there's a big, big difference to when I played.

"They were really sodden leather balls, with dubbing and laces in the middle of them.

"It hasn't done me any good.

"But I can't see how they can ban heading totally - that would ruin the game.

"I think that would perhaps be over the top and we just need to be aware.

"I don't think we should put the fear of God up these youngsters now - the balls are a lot, lot better now than they were.

"You don't want the youngsters to be put off and say they don't want to head the ball.

"It isn't the same.

"They were quite dangerous, in my day and age and I think it's a different game now."

Hunt holds Colchester's record for the most goals scored in a Football League season in the 1961-62 campaign.

The Colchester-born former forward is hoping the U's can build on their 3-0 win over Doncaster Rovers in their last league game and pull away from the League Two relegation zone.

"I'd love to see them do well," added Hunt, who rose to prominence at Layer Road in the U's 1961-62 Fourth Division title battle with eventual winners Millwall.

"It was an important win against Doncaster and it would be nice to see the players on the wings getting some deliveries in.

"I was very, very lucky to play in the days when we had wingers."