Jeff Astle's daughter hits out at West Brom boss Darren Moore's PFA comments
The daughter of Albion legend Jeff Astle says her family are ‘extremely hurt’ by Baggies boss Darren Moore’s comments over the Professional Footballers’ Association scandal.
Dawn Astle, whose father died in 2002 of a degenerative brain disease, had called for PFA chief executive Gordon Taylor to be ousted over the union’s lack of funding for dementia research.
She claims her family have now been left ‘numb’ by Moore’s comments, which called on critics to hold fire until an independent review is carried out.
When asked what he would say to the Astle family Moore, who regularly acted as a PFA representative during his playing career, said: “I totally understand where Dawn is coming from because she lost her father.
“What I will say to Dawn is that there is a review going on and I think Dawn and the family members will wait and let that happen before passing further comment on the situation.”
Dawn, who in 2015 helped set up the Jeff Astle Foundation to raise awareness of degenerative brain conditions, responded on behalf of the family in a statement.
Extremely hurt
It read: “My family and I are bitterly disappointed and extremely hurt by Darren Moore’s comments.
“He was quite simply the last person in the world we expected those comments to come from – the manager of not only the club we support but also the club my dad played for and loved.
“I will make no apology for doing whatever I can, whenever I can and however I can to shame Gordon Taylor and the PFA regarding their lies and lack of action for 13 years on dementia research.”
She added: “Players are dying and their own union are completely neglecting them.
“Darren Moore has no right to tell me and the rest of my family to basically ‘keep quiet now’ or ‘hold fire on negative comments’ just because there is going to be a review.
“The review, whatever the outcome, does not and will not change what has happened.
“By dying, my dad’s brain is now speaking for the living and I will always speak for him.”
Despite their obvious distress, the Astle family remain appreciative of the assistance Albion as a club have provided to their many years of campaigning.
Moore, meanwhile, is understood to feel his comments have been misinterpreted and plans to meet with Dawn and Laraine, Jeff’s widow, at the earliest opportunity.
PFA chief Taylor has come under increasing fire over the organisation’s spending. It has emerged the PFA donated £100,000 to dementia research last year, just five per cent of Taylor’s £2million salary and a fraction of the union’s £28million annual income.
