A book telling the remarkable life story of County Durham miner’s son Bill Gates - who became Britain’s first £50 a week footballer, a sports shop entrepreneur and multi-millionaire tax exile - will be launched in his home town next week.
The story has a tragic ending, however. After living for many years with dementia, Bill died last October. He was 79.
Dr Judith Gates, his widow, now chairs Head Safe Football, a national charity which aims to raise awareness of the neurological dangers of repetitively heading a ball which she is convinced led to her husband’s illness.
Many other former footballers, including World Cup winners Nobby Stiles and Jack and Bobby Charlton, have died after living for years with dementia.
Written by multi-award winning former Northern Echo columnist Mike Amos, the 300-page book – called No-brainer – marries Bill’s life story with Judith’s tireless campaigning to bring about safer football in every age group and at every level.
Already two matches played at Spennymoor Town’s ground, involving limited heading or none at all, have received worldwide attention.
The launch, at Ferryhill Workmen’s Club from 6.30pm on Tuesday, May 7, takes place 50 years to the day since Bill’s testimonial match when Middlesbrough, champions of the old second division, met first division champions Leeds United.
Bill, a former England schools captain, had made 333 first team appearances. The match ended 4-4 before a 31,000 crowd.
More than half the players involved in the game have since died with some for of neurological disease, including motor neurone and Parkinson’s disease.
Among guests at the book launch will be former Middlesbrough and England central defender Gary Pallister, who attended the testimonial – his first Boro match. It’s also hoped that former Boro and Chelsea player Tony McAndrew will attend.
One of five brothers – another was former England international Eric Gates – Bill was born in Neale Street, Dean Bank. His grandfather was a regular at the club where the launch will be held from 6.30pm.
Judith was from Spennymoor. Fellow pupils at Spennymoor Grammar School, she and Bill became romantically involved on a school trip to the Olympics in Rome in 1960 and married when he was 17 and she 16 – and expecting their first son.
News of her pregnancy shocked the school community. Though academically outstanding, she felt obliged to leave. “It was just expected” says Judith.
Middlesbrough FC gave them a club house – though without a telephone. “I’d be in the call box at the end of the street ringing my mum to ask how to make mince” Judith recalls.
Bill trained in the mornings, studied accountancy in the afternoons, and wasn’t yet 30 before he started to suffer intense migraines which left him unable to get out of bed.
He sold the Monument Sports business in 1988 and moved to the Cayman Islands where he and Judith became involved in charitable work both on the islands and globally. They returned to County Durham several years ago as his condition worsened.
Dementia was formally diagnosed in 2014, strongly believed to have been chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) – a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated head impacts – but only able to be confirmed post-mortem.
Mike Amos has travelled Britain interviewing former players and medical experts but remained much closer to home to collect numerous stories of growing up around Ferryhill and Spennymoor, including the infamous pig muck derbies, the numerous broken windows and cricket for Dean and Chapter.
Warren Manger of the Daily Mirror described the book as “a meticulous and moving read that exposes football’s collective failure to protect players”.
Mr Amos will be very happy to sign copies of the book, to chat and - he insists - very likely get the beers in.
Recommended reading:
- Tributes to Bill Gates - Boro football legend, entrepreneur and philanthropist
- New charity's goal is to stop footballers getting brain injuries from heading
- A no-brainer: how Boro legend Bill Gates was heading for big trouble
Special Offer Alert! Join The Northern Echo today and stay ahead with local news that matters. Enjoy our digital subscription at £5 for five months or get 40 per cent off for a year. Click here for details.
Dr Gates said it would be lovely both to see old friends and to raise awareness of the dangers of heading a football.
“The book is part of Bill’s legacy. My sons and I promised him that we’d do all we could to ensure that no one suffered as he did. The fight is just beginning.”
- No-brainer by Mike Amos is published by Haythorp Books (£14 99) and available through Amazon, from 6.30pm at Ferryhill WMC on Tuesday, May 7 or direct from the author – mikeamos81@aol.com
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here