Former footballer Len Johnrose dies aged 52 after MND battle

Former footballer Len Johnrose, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in 2017, has died at the age of 52, his charity has said.

Johnrose, who had a six-year spell with Bury between 1993 and 1999 and also played for Blackburn, Hartlepool, Burnley and Swansea, helped raise funds for the MND Association following his diagnosis and campaigned for greater player safety.

He also sought to raise awareness of the condition among current players through his Project 92 work, after the 2019 FIELD Study identified a four-fold increased risk of developing MND among footballers compared to the general population.

Johnrose told the PA news agency in November 2020: “That (increased risk) should cause massive shockwaves, but it’s barely caused a ripple. We really need to get that message out there.”

The Len Johnrose Trust tweeted on Monday: “We are heartbroken to tell you that our leader, Len Johnrose, passed away this morning.

“Len was an incredibly proud husband and father. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this very sad time.”

There is a one in 300 risk of a person developing MND in their lifetime. There are still no clear answers about what causes it, and there is no cure.

Johnrose, who is survived by his wife Nadine and their children Chanel, Elizabeth and Patrick, helped launch the #IceFoot92 challenge last year to raise funds for the MND Association, where participants were challenged to immerse their feet in icy water for 92 seconds.

He told PA in October 2019 he was “sickened” there were no restrictions placed on heading in children’s football and said the sport’s authorities were “taking chances with people’s lives”.

Since then, guidance has been introduced advising all heading to be avoided in under-11s