A growing number of families of footballers affected by dementia have expressed their willingness to donate the brains of their loved ones to assist research after their death.
The Jeff Astle Foundation says it has been contacted by the families of more than 300 former players, including an increasing number ready to contribute to the creation of a "bank" of donated brains to help investigate the link between football and dementia.
Chesterfield's all-time top scorer Ernie Moss, 68, has been suffering with suspected chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) since his late fifties and can no longer speak or complete routine tasks.
Moss' daughter Nikki Trueman told the Sunday Telegraph: "As a family we would like to donate his brain because it is only going to help others.
"It's a heart-breaking, horrendous and harrowing thing to have to do but I do think that's what we'll find.
"All of us -- my mum, my sister and me -- had decided separately that it is something that needs to be done."
A BBC documentary called "Alan Shearer: Dementia, Football and Me," to be aired on Sunday night, will show parts of the brain of ex-West Brom forward Jeff Astle, who died in 2002 aged 59 from CTE and whose family have long campaigned to raise awareness around brain injury in football.
Former England captain Shearer has expressed his concern about the effects heading a ball during his career may have on his long-term health.
Press Association Sport reports that a major study into whether footballers are at greater risk of degenerative brain disease is set for launch in the next few weeks with the appointment of a research group, jointly commissioned by the Football Association and Professional Footballers' Association.