Curriculum Vitae

Over 45 years experience in professional football as a scout, coach and player.

Plymouth Argyle player 1975 – Sheffield wednesday assistant manager 2021

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EDUCATION AND QUALIFICATIONS

FA Full Coaching License – 1994
UEFA ‘A’ Coaching License – 1998
F.A. Qualified Tutor / Assessor for the FA Coaching Certificate Level 1 and 2 – 2003 – 2015
UEFA B Qualified Tutor / Assessor for the UEFA B coaching qualification – 2005 – 2015

KEY SUCCESSES AND STRENGTHS

Over 45 years experience in professional football as a Scout, Coach and Player.
Extensive network of contacts in the professional game.
As a player I was a utility player who played in pretty much every position. This gave me a wide view and a keen understanding of the roles and responsibilities required to play in different positions.
As a coach educator, I helped and encouraged coaches to learn to watch training sessions and games with a “coach’s eye” to try and be at least one step ahead of the game. All of the above help me enormously when scouting and watching games.
I have extensive experience and knowledge of using the online scouting platform Wyscout, which can assist greatly in the initial stages of searching, analysing and assessing players.
Experience of using Scout 7 ISF to cohesively, succinctly and effectively paint an accurate profile of players in scouting reports
My scouting, playing and coaching experience enables me to understand and scout the different types of players required to play in a variety of team shapes and systems that also fit the playing philosophies of the various Head Coaches I have scouted for.
An enthusiasm and desire to watch, assess, analyse and collate information on games and players be them live, in England or abroad, on TV or through internet platforms such as Wyscout
I embrace and utilise technology, analysis and statistics as vital and strategic tools to search, identify and report on players. I collate and organise my scouting information in a searchable data base, so that I can easily and simply search for and provide answers in relation to player recruitment.
I am organised, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, have good organisational and time management skills. I can work to deadlines, communicate well and am flexible, being prepared to travel within the UK and abroad.

SCOUTING CAREER

CELTIC FOOTBALL CLUB EUROPEAN SCOUT SEPTEMBER 2019 – NOVEMBER 2020

Covered the whole of Europe
Regularly used the Wyscout online scouting platform as a player assessment resource

WBA FC SENIOR SCOUT JANUARY 2015 – NOVEMBER 2018

Senior First Team Scout, reporting directly into Technical Director Nicky Hammond and Head Coaches, Tony Pulis, Alan Pardew and Darren Moore
Area covered – South of England and Europe, regularly scouting in all the main European Countries, as well as Egypt and Croatia. I was effectively WBA’s European Scout
Predominantly scouting players who are or could be “better or different” and have the potential to play at PL and Championship level, this also included watching PL U18 and U23 games – over 800 games, 4,000 player reports in 4 years
Regularly used the Wyscout online scouting platform as a player assessment resource

STOKE CITY FC SENIOR SCOUT 2002 – 2005 and 2009 – 2013

First team scout reporting directly into the Manager

PORTSMOUTH FC CHIEF SCOUT 1999 – 2000

First team scout reporting directly into the Manager
Restructured and developed the scouting system

BOURNEMOUTH FC SCOUT 1992 – 1994

First team scout reporting directly into the Manager

COACHING CAREER

ASSISTANT MANAGER SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY FOOTBALL CLUB NOVEMBER 2020 – JANUARY 2021

A short and crazy period.
An invaluable learning experience

F.A. COACHING TUTOR 2003 – 2016

Tutoring / Assessing F.A. and UEFA Coaching Courses
Utilised cutting edge animation technology to design specific course sessions and practices to enhance students learning, knowledge and understanding

PORTSMOUTH FC U15 ACADEMY COACH 2007 – 2008

Manager and Coach of English Premier League Portsmouth Academy U15 team

PORTSMOUTH FC RESERVE TEAM COACH 1999 – 2000

Coached and managed the Reserve Team
Coached various age groups at the school of excellence

STAMCO FC 1994 – 1998

Player Manager

BOURNEMOUTH FC FIRST TEAM COACH 1992 – 1994

First Team Coach
Head of school of excellence

PLAYING CAREER

PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL PLAYER 1975 – 1992

Played as a utility player, mainly centre midfield, centre half, centre forward in over 600 league and cup games scoring 90 + goals for 7 professional clubs:

Plymouth Argyle 1975 – ’80
Stoke Loan – 3 months 1979
Sheffield United 1980 – ’84
Rotherham United 1984 – ’87
Brighton and Hove Albion 1987 – ’90
Gillingham 1990 – ’92
Sing Tao (Hong Kong) 1992