John McNamee

[cmcd]

Sad to hear that one of my sixties heroes is suffering from Alzheimers .John was a rock in the heart of the Hibs defence and always gave his all before his transfer to Newcastle.

[confused]

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Sad to hear that one of my sixties heroes is suffering from Alzheimers .John was a rock in the heart of the Hibs defence and always gave his all before his transfer to Newcastle.

Aye my type of no5 I remember he used to wear a short sleeved strip,

[Golden Bear]

Big bad John, he was a real cult hero in his playing days.

[johncrobertson@]

Legend - saw him score the winner against Rangers at Easter Road - header from a corner! Hibees won 3-2. Also remember Big John against Real Madrid when we won 2-0. Superb Centre Half who took no prisoners. Driven away by referees - something in Scotland never change!!

[brog]

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Legend - saw him score the winner against Rangers at Easter Road - header from a corner! Hibees won 3-2. Also remember Big John against Real Madrid when we won 2-0. Superb Centre Half who took no prisoners. Driven away by referees - something in Scotland never change!!

After John's goal a young lad came running on from the East terrace with an auld polis in hot pursuit. John picked the young guy up, put him on his shoulders & took him back to the terracing. Class act & much loved at Newcastle as well. Horrible disease, hope he's as comfortable as possible.

[Deansy]

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Sad to hear that one of my sixties heroes is suffering from Alzheimers .John was a rock in the heart of the Hibs defence and always gave his all before his transfer to Newcastle.

To be robbed of your fondest and greatest memories is truly heart-breaking, a cure for this evil-disease just can't come quick enough ! By coincidence I was on a nostalgia-trip just last week, reading-up on ex-Liverpool players and it's alarming how many of them have been stricken by 'Alzheimer's - Ron Yeats, Tommy Smith being just 2 of them. Found an article by Ian St.John, and he's saying that the USA are ahead of the UK in dealing with this problem but he also hints that clubs are wary of having to pay 'Compensation' to ex-players could be responsible - with the money swimming around the English game just now, I sincerely hope he's wrong !

For people who doesn't like clicking onto certain papers sites, I've copied and pasted it -


Bill Shankly's stars are struggling with dementia and British football should be investigating why, says Ian St John

The Liverpool legend points out America's advances compared to those in the UK

• Ian Herbert Chief Sports Writer
• @ianherbs
• Tuesday 7 February 2017 13:59 GMT
• 8 comments

271

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The famous Liverpool side of the 1960s has been heavily affected by brain diseases Getty One of the legends of Liverpool’s Bill Shankly era, Ian St John, has said that the United States is way ahead of Britain in examining links between dementia and the heading of heavy leather footballs in the 1950s and 1960s and has called for action, amid the deteriorating health of several former team-mates.
St John pointed to prevalence of neurological problems among Shankly’s former players, with one-time captains Ron Yeats and Tommy Smith both struggling and Geoff Strong, a member of the 1965 FA Cup winning team with Yeats and Smith, having died four years ago at the age of 75, having also been robbed of cognitive function by Alzheimer’s.
St John said that he received no sense from the Professional Footballers’ Association that they believe a scientific breakthrough can be made in establishing or discounting any link. St John left a meeting with players’ union on the subject several years ago with the impression that the PFA felt any link was “hard to substantiate” and that nothing could be done. By contrast, his presence at a trade union meeting in the US left him convinced that the sport on that side of the Atlantic was at least investigating the delayed medical effects of repeatedly heading the water-soaked leather footballs, in the last century.

• Read more

Yeats: Liverpool colossus, FA Cup winner and shadow of his former self


The struggles being faced both by Yeats and Smith have been highlighted in a new book on the players who have lead out the club, entitled ‘Liverpool Captains’ by the Norwegian writer and translator R. Lund Ansnes. St John helps Ansnes with the chapter on Yeats, by acting as an intermediary during their interview and helping bring out the now 79-year-old’s memories. It is in the book that St John expresses his frustration with the seeming reluctance to commission research, 15 years on from the inquest which established that the late Jeff Astle, of West Bromwich Albion, did suffer neurological damage after heading heavy footballs.
“In Europe, people are worried about this,” St John said. “If doctors’ research shows that football gave a lot of us health problems, the clubs would have to pay a lot of money in compensation.


Former captain Yeats is not the only ex-Red to be let down by the PFA (Getty)

“It’s true that women our age suffer from dementia too, but in the same numbers as men in our industry? I’m not talking about men in our country in general who get Alzheimer’s. I’m talking about the percentage of our little group of professional footballers from the 1960s. I believe this is an occupational injury, a health condition caused by our job as footballers. When boxers receive those heavy punches to the head, they need to rest. That was never an issue in our time.

• Read more

United Supporters Trust calls for research into Stiles plight


“To be honest, all the big names among players from the 1950s and 1960s are suffering from memory lapse or dementia in varying degrees. They need compensation to pay carers, people to help and assist them in their everyday lives; for hospitals and treatment. They ought to be compensated to get the best help they can for their condition, and be able to lead a dignified life in the years they’ve got left, but it’s not happening. There should be a system for employees with occupational injuries, who have their health damaged in the industry they work for.”
The PFA says the Football Association is leading the investigation into whether any link does exist. The FA says its recently appointed head of performance medicine, Dr Charlotte Cowie is leading efforts to get research commissioned. But experts have not yet been engaged to look at the subject, as Cowie and the FA’s ‘expert concussion panel’ want to ensure that the terms of reference are correct. Though American Football and rugby do have published research to work from, the FA feel they are hampered by an absence of published research on the effects of heading a football. It is unclear when a research project might be launched.

[esjorto]

Anyway.....back to big John Mcnamee. Huge fan favourite, and also a HUGE favourite of Jock Stein who signed him ASAP for Hibs. The refs had it in for him and Hibs reluctantly sold him to Newcastle.

[Jonnyboy]

One of my early heroes. Very sad to hear this news and as brog says, I hope he's as comfortable as possible

[ancient hibee]

Would always be centre half in my all-time Hibs team.Sure he was tough but he could also,play.Sad news.

[weecounty hibby]

My uncles favourite. Heard many many stories about " Big John". Sad to hear and hope he is as well as possible with that illness

[Famous Fiver]

He could head the ball further than most of us could kick it.

A Hibs legend.

[The Harp]

So sorry to hear about this. Big John is one of my favourite ever Hibs players and played in the team that won the Summer Cup at Pittodrie in '64 - the first time I saw us lifting silverware. Can remember a certain Hibs historian running on the park when the teams came out and placing a holy medal round John's neck.
As others have said, hope John is as comfortable as possible.

[heretoday]

The chant would go up "Big John".

Such a strong player built like a tree.

[Forza Fred]

hardest player I've seen in a HIbs jersey....nobody messed with Big John.

Sad news indeed for us old timers.

[bigwheel]

There's some footage of him v Real Madrid if anyone wants to remember him on top form...check out the recent thread on Hibs v Real Madrid.

Didn't see him live, but my Dad often shared stories about " big John McNamee". Loved him as a player..

Wish him and his family all the best ...


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[brog]

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Anyway.....back to big John Mcnamee. Huge fan favourite, and also a HUGE favourite of Jock Stein who signed him ASAP for Hibs. The refs had it in for him and Hibs reluctantly sold him to Newcastle.

He was a fav of Jock Stein until John booted Stein up his e**e after John was sent off in LC semi final replay vs Celtc! A richly deserved boot at that!!

[lapsedhibee]

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He was a fav of Jock Stein until John booted Stein up his e**e after John was sent off in LC semi final replay vs Celtc! A richly deserved boot at that!!

Big John was not pleased with the ref that night.

JMCeltc.jpg

[brog]

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Big John was not pleased with the ref that night.

JMCeltc.jpg

, I remember Pat Stanton telling me holding Big John back was the most scared he'd ever been on a pitch!! IIRC the ref was Davidson who allowed a shocking challenge on Jim Scott by Yogi Hughes in last seconds of the 1st game to go unchallenged. At worst it was our throw in but Gemmell grabbed the ball, took the throw & Lennox scored. Some things never change!

[snooky]

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, I remember Pat Stanton telling me holding Big John back was the most scared he'd ever been on a pitch!! IIRC the ref was Davidson who allowed a shocking challenge on Jim Scott by Yogi Hughes in last seconds of the 1st game to go unchallenged. At worst it was our throw in but Gemmell grabbed the ball, took the throw & Lennox scored. Some things never change!

That's not 'oor Yogi Hughes', btw - it's the other one. You know, the one that broke Bobby Duncan's leg.

[Dalkeith Boy]

Great memories of chanting "Big John" to encourage him to come up for corner kicks...he would then stroll up and inevitably score with his head...loved him! Stanton McNamee and Baxter...what a half back line!

[Roxyhibee]

One of the first memorable names I heard and learned from my dad and uncles when I was first taken to Easter Road.

Along with Martin, Cormack, Quinn, Hamilton, Stanton, etc - BIG JOHN McNAMEE was a great player and a true legendary Hibernian name.

[Mili Tant]

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After John's goal a young lad came running on from the East terrace with an auld polis in hot pursuit. John picked the young guy up, put him on his shoulders & took him back to the terracing. Class act & much loved at Newcastle as well. Horrible disease, hope he's as comfortable as possible.

I was that young sojer!! Unfortunately, he didn’t take me back to the terracing or I wouldn’t have been chucked oot by the polis - young thug that I was!

[Lago]

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Big bad John, he was a real cult hero in his playing days.

Wasn't he just.

[Lago]

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I was that young sojer!! Unfortunately, he didn’t take me back to the terracing or I wouldn’t have been chucked oot by the polis - young thug that I was!

[BILLYHIBS]

A real mans man

Used to wear short sleeves on frozen pitches

Nae gloves or tights like today’s divas

Big John Big Bad John

They shall not pass!

[brog]

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I was that young sojer!! Unfortunately, he didn’t take me back to the terracing or I wouldn’t have been chucked oot by the polis - young thug that I was!

That's brilliant!!

[confused]

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hardest player I've seen in a HIbs jersey....nobody messed with Big John.

Sad news indeed for us old timers.

My fav no 5 of all time ,I believe he has a book ,I’ve tried for years to get a copy but have failed , hope the Big man is as good as can be in the circumstances

[Fanforlife]

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I was that young sojer!! Unfortunately, he didn’t take me back to the terracing or I wouldn’t have been chucked oot by the polis - young thug that I was!

That you Mr D?😁

[Fanforlife]

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That's not 'oor Yogi Hughes', btw - it's the other one. You know, the one that broke Bobby Duncan's leg.

Think Mcnamee and Hughes were cousins but did not like each other.

[ozhibs]

Definitely one of my all time favorites " Big bad John McNamee" But the leather ball got so heavy in the Scottish weather. Sorry to hear that news

GGTTH