PAUL Sturrock has revealed that he is suffering from Parkinson's Disease.

The Argyle manager has been affected by a mild version of the progressive neurological condition for about eight years, including in his first spell at Home Park.

"I want people to know about this now," said Luggy.

"I don't want sympathy, I don't want people feeling sorry for me - I just thought that this was the right time to bring things out into the open."

Parkinson's Disease is a disorder of the central nervous system that can impair the sufferer's motor skills and speech, as well as other functions.

It is caused by the loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, an important chemical that carries signals between the neurons in the brain which enables people to perform smooth, co-ordinated movements.

There is no cure, but a lot can be done to relieve symptoms, especially in the early stages. The aim is to replace the missing dopamine in the brain, which can be done very effectively with drugs.

"It's an illness, yes, but one that I am perfectly comfortable with," said Luggy, 51. "It is not a severe form by any means.

"It doesn't really affect me, unless I forget to take a tablet, and then I just get a few tremors in my hand or my leg.

"It will not affect the way I go about my job. There's plenty of life in the old dog yet."

The Parkinson's Disease Society estimates there are about 120,000 people in the UK with the disease -
one in 500 of the general population - and approximately 10,000 people are diagnosed each year.

"Thousands of people live and work with Parkinson's," said Luggy, "and I will be one of them.

"I have got by for the last eight years and I have felt fine.

"I have had many talks with the medical people and I am quite content with what they have told me."

The disease is named after English physician James Parkinson; who made a detailed description of the disease in his essay: "An Essay on the Shaking Palsy" (1817).

Former Arsenal and Liverpool footballer Ray Kennedy, who won every domestic English honour, as well as the European Cup and UEFA Cup, is a sufferer of the disease, having been diagnosed at 35.

Other famous sufferers of Parkinson's Disease include Pope John Paul II, playwright Eugene O'Neill, artist Salvador Dalí, evangelist Billy Graham, boxer Muhammad Ali, and actors Deborah Kerr, Kenneth More and Vincent Price.

Advice and support
Parkinson's Disease Society
Helpline: 0808 800 0303
Email: enquiries@parkinsons.org.uk
Website: www.parkinsons.org.uk

Younger Parkinson's Network
Helpline: 0808 800 0303
Email: chair@yap-web.net
Website: www.yap-web.net