Solicitor dropped by rugby players still leads football brain claim

The lawyer removed from representing a group of more than 1,000 rugby players with brain injuries in their lawsuit against the sport’s governing bodies is still heading a comparable claim for dozens of former footballers.

At a hearing in the Royal Courts of Justice this week, Richard Boardman stated his plan to step aside, with the claimants signaling a unified decision to end their relationship with his practice, Rylands Garth.

Boardman’s handling of the litigation drew sharp rebuke from the presiding judge, Master Jeremy Cook, who pointed to allegations of “widespread non-compliance” and “misleading evidence,” particularly concerning his broken commitment to supply the court with all claimants’ medical records.

Master Cook is now weighing whether to strike out the entire case, a move that would leave a substantial group of former rugby union and league players, including England World Cup winners Steve Thompson and Phil Vickery, with nothing after six years of arduous legal proceedings.

In spite of his removal by the rugby players, Boardman continues to act for a group of 23 former footballers who are pursuing legal action against the Football Association, English Football League, and FA of Wales due to irreversible brain injuries suffered during their playing days.

The group features the families of World Cup-winning footballer Nobby Stiles, former Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, and four ex-players from the Premier League period. Because of the considerably smaller number of claimants, and consequently fewer medical records, the football claim is regarded as less complex for Rylands Garth to handle.

Coincidentally, the FA changed their legal defense team in the case earlier this year, and both sides are still in the process of exchanging documentation.

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The rugby claimants are currently seeking new legal counsel, but until they have formally done so, Boardman technically remains in charge, despite being absent for the final day and a half of this week’s court hearings. The firm Leigh Day has been advising on the matter since February and is deliberating whether to assume responsibility for the case.