One of Scotland’s best known journalists is to launch a dementia charity in the new year which will campaign for heading to be banned from football. Former STV newsman Mike Edwards has written a book, which is published today, to fund the set up.

‘You’re Seeing It!’ highlights the big news stories he covered during 26 years as a reporter with STV, his service in Iraq and Afghanistan as an Army Reserve officer and the years spent caring for his elderly mother Margaret, who had been diagnosed with dementia.
‘My third book, “You’re Seeing It!” is an autobiography and an easy win as a Christmas gift because it covers a lot of ground which many people will identify with and all proceeds go to my charity,’ said Mike.

‘I was fortunate enough to report on the biggest news stories to have broken in Scotland over a quarter of a century, like the Scottish Independence referendum, the Commonwealth Games and major criminal trials. I witnessed these events and my book tells the behind the scenes story.

Mike retired from STV in 2019 to care for his mother Margaret in the last years of her life after she was diagnosed with dementia. She was a nurse, midwife and nurse tutor at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness. He plans to use the profits from the book to start a new charity in Scotland to try to have heading banned. He believes that dementia is all too prevalent in Scotland without adding to the numbers of diagnoses through our national sport.

'There was great news this week with footballers being told not to head the ball in the days before and after games but I believe it has to go further. Football has to change to stop increasing the number of cases of dementia. Heading the ball is a slow but certain killer and I will be trying to get the game’s authorities to alter rules and players and coaches to amend attitudes. The game must adapt so young players grow up learning not to head the ball in the same way they learn not to handle it.

Studies show the links between football and dementia and we have to question attitudes. Yes it’s a big ask, but you have to start somewhere. You wouldn’t dream of driving without a seatbelt or smoking in a public place now. It used to be commonplace but attitudes were altered by changes in the rules.’

Mike will launch his charity in the new year and says that once it is up and running, he’ll be lobbying sporting authorities to change rules. Several big sporting names have indicated they will join the board, among them former Scotland and British Lions rugby star John Beattie and Gail Pirie, the daughter of Scotland manager Ally MacLeod, who died after a diagnosis of dementia which his family believes resulted from repeated concussions and heading footballs. He has already received a £1,000 donation, had a website built and created domain names and email addresses. He has a board of trustees in place, a secretary and a treasurer and people have already offered to volunteer.

Boxing, I would ban altogether although that’s unlikely to happen,’ said Mike. ‘But rugby has changed, which is a fantastic example, and has to change yet further. Look at shinty - one of the most physical sports in existence, played with sticks and a ball as hard as a rock, yet you never hear of head injuries because players have adapted how they play. Football has to do the same.

‘I grew up watching Scottish heroes like Denis Law and Billy McNeill. Denis has received a diagnosis and dementia took Billy’s life, among many. I want to stop players suffering in the same way. My mother never headed a football in her life but I cared for her at home by myself and she died in my arms so I have seen at first hand what dementia does to someone and have experienced the impact dementia has on their family. My dementia carer’s story is told in the book and it doesn’t hold back.’

Mike’s book also covers his service as an Army Reservist in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and he describes the visceral fear he experienced coming under fire on the battlefield. The 20thanniversary of the war in Iraq is coming up early in 2023.

‘There is not a day that goes by without me thinking of those awful experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. In a way, writing the book was a kind of catharsis. I’d never written down my thoughts before, not even in my diary at the time, it was always branded into my memory and I never felt the need to. But working with veterans, as I now do as a trustee of military charities, has brought me into contact with men and women who have experienced the same things and I felt it was time to put how I felt on record.

‘I was a journalist for 40 years and my life and career were all about me. I was all about getting the big story on the news, working towards my next Army promotion or writing another book. Now, corny as it sounds, I just want to give something back. I spend my days working for charities and doing all I can for veterans and those touched by dementia. Now I am starting my own charity to do just that.’

Fifty-seven year-old Mike lives in rural Argyll. He is a trustee and ambassador for several charities including Erskine and is a Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dunbartonshire. He was awarded the OBE for public and charitable services in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Honours List.

Signed copies with personalised messages are available before Christmas by contacting Mike’s literary agent andrewcaledonia@gmail.com

NB: Mike’s novel, ‘Friendly Fire,’ was published in 2006 and a first volume of autobiography, ‘The Road Home,’ in 2018.  He is a serving Army Reservist with the rank of Major in the Royal Regiment of Scotland and is a graduate of the British and Canadian Army staff colleges.

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