Join me where I sit down and chat with people working within professional sport from around the world.
Although my background is in sports analysis, you will f...
What it's REALLY like being a football scout & sporting director - Joe Savage #69
What it's REALLY like being a football scout & sporting director - Joe Savage #69For this episode we are joined by Joe Savage for a deep dive into the role of the sporting director in football and all things scouting and recruitment.Joe's last role was sporting director at Scottish football club Hearts, and before that he was head of recruitment at Preston North End, and chief scout at Norwich City.We discuss Joe's journey in football, some of his experiences when it comes to building out a recruitment team, working on transfers and overseeing multiple aspects of a football club.0:00 - Introduction2:32 - Joe joins and gives background5:37 - Getting into scouting14:15 - Scouting reports and advice for scouts24:50 - Moving to Norwich FC as chief scout29:20 - Scouting with different budgets (premier league/championship)34:48 - Difference between chief scout and head of recruitment41:51 - Joe's transition to be a sporting director46:06 - The role of a sporting director53:35 - Learning from others in similar roles57:23 - Setting up a recruitment department1:02:15 - Competing with other clubs for signings1:06:27 - What a recruitment meeting is like, having options1:15:40 - Agreeing personal terms, contract negotiations1:21:19 - Challenges as a sporting director, knowing when to move on1:28:47 - Increase in analytics, Jamestown Analytics1:32:19 - Co-sporting directors & assistant sporting directors1:35:08 - Advice for aspiring sporting directors1:39:31 - Wrap up, book/podcast recommendations, what's next for JoeRelated EpisodesMark Cartwright (Sporting Director): https://youtu.be/TCb8L9vRxbwChris Robinson (Scout): https://youtu.be/asDWXXVaKxkLiam Henshaw (Data Scout): https://youtu.be/Wbd_BmceRJsBook RecommendationsDexter Series: https://amzn.to/4aSdcA4Game of Thrones: https://amzn.to/3WOJjLa #heartsfc #sportingdirector #scouting #football #talentid◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️USEFUL LINKS💻 Video Analysis Software (Tag your videos, add drawings, create playlists) - https://www.in-playsports.com/software/individuals🐍 Learn PYTHON for football analysis – https://mckay-s-site.thinkific.com/courses/football-analytics-course?ref=3f7c5c⚽️ Football Analysis Education (Use code Gill10 for 10% off) – https://apfa.io/course/ref/chrisgill_UK/📊 Become a data analyst with DataCamp: https://datacamp.pxf.io/WqBZGAFREE RESOURCES📋 CV Template – https://cvtemplate.chris-gill.com/download📝 Cover Letter Template - https://coverletter.chris-gill.com/download📚 Ultimate list of sports analysis/coaching books - https://books.chris-gill.com/downloadMY OTHER SOCIALS🌍 My Website – https://www.chris-gill.com🆇 X/Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/chrisgill_UK👨🏼💻 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgilluk
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1:42:32
Setting up a data department at Sunderland AFC - James Young #68
Setting up a data department at Sunderland AFC - James Young #68
James Young is currently head of sports partnerships and data and tech company, Genius Sports. Before that, he was recruited by Sunderland AFC to set up and manage a new data analytics department.
Starting with a degree in mechanical engineering, James always had the goal of working in sport. From biomechanics, to publishing, he then headed up the Performance Analytics division at Deloitte which is where he eventually left for Sunderland.
After joining Sunderland (as one of the first hires under new owner, Kyril Louis-Dreyfus) they went on to gain promotion to the Championship and begin to rebuild in their pursuit of getting back to the Premier League. James helped integrate data into many aspects of the club including recruitment of players and head coaches.
0:00 - Introduction
2:09 - James joins and gives some background
9:40 - Working as a biomechanist
12:19 - Time out working in publishing
15:57 - Working at Stats Perform (Opta)
22:22 - Joining Deloitte (Performance Analytics Division, The FA)
30:10 - Joining Sunderland AFC
43:14 - James opinion of Sunderland and the feeling around the club at the time
46:41 - Getting promoted
50:06 - How the other staff took to the data revolution
54:23 - Aligning with the recruitment department
59:52 - James' 5 'pillars' when working with data
1:08:14 - External consultancies supporting clubs (Serios, Sports4Cast etc)
1:14:07 - Head coach recruitment
1:16:42 - Genius Sports (player tracking)
1:19:43 - Any future predictions?
1:24:31 - Advice for future analysts (specialist or generalist)
1:28:37 - Working towards becoming a Sporting Director
1:31:58 - Book recommendations, summary, wrap up
#safc #sunderland #football #sportsanalytics #footballanalytics
◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️
USEFUL LINKS
💻 Video Analysis Software (Tag your videos, add drawings, create playlists) - https://www.in-playsports.com/software/individuals
🐍 Learn PYTHON for football analysis – https://mckay-s-site.thinkific.com/courses/football-analytics-course?ref=3f7c5c
⚽️ Football Analysis Education (Use code Gill10 for 10% off) – https://apfa.io/course/ref/chrisgill_UK/
📊 Become a data analyst with DataCamp: https://datacamp.pxf.io/WqBZGA
FREE RESOURCES
📋 CV Template – https://cvtemplate.chris-gill.com/download
📝 Cover Letter Template - https://coverletter.chris-gill.com/download
📚 Ultimate list of sports analysis/coaching books - https://books.chris-gill.com/download
MY OTHER SOCIALS
🌍 My Website – https://www.chris-gill.com
🆇 X/Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/chrisgill_UK
👨🏼💻 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgilluk
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1:35:34
Head of Football @ Right to Dream (Scouting in Africa) - Mads Davidsen #67
Mads Davidsen has vast experiences when it comes to working in football. He is currently the Group Head of Football at Right to Dream.
Right to Dream started out as a single academy in Ghana, founded by ex-Manchester Utd scout Tom Vernon. Over 25 years later it is much more than that, and continues to impact so many lives in a positive way.
Mads explains how RTD recruit players, how they measure success and how RTD has even expanded to the MLS. Towards the end, we then dive into the role of the sporting director.
0:00 - Introduction
2:07 - Mads joins and gives background
5:52 - Working around the World and experiencing different cultures
9:19 - Right to Dream
16:08 - How RTD scout, and the player pathway
26:11 - Covering other parts of Africa, growth
29:02 - How RTD measure success
32:19 - Mads' role as Head of Football
37:56 - San Diego FC, why the MLS?
44:43 - Considering different playing styles
47:52 - Do Premier League clubs have presence in Africa?
54:29 - The sporting director role & sustainable model
1:02:37 - Book recommendation, wrap up
Related Videos
Harry Jamieson: https://youtu.be/_r0u-jZmkps
Scouting in Africa: https://youtu.be/Zdx8cz1u-nM
Book Mentioned
The Culture Map: https://amzn.to/4a8TvUr
Right to Dream: https://www.righttodream.com/
The sustainable model of a football club: https://optimafootball.com/home/consulting.html
◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️
USEFUL LINKS
💻 Video Analysis Software (Tag your videos, add drawings, create playlists) - https://www.in-playsports.com/software/individuals
🐍 Learn PYTHON for football analysis – https://mckay-s-site.thinkific.com/courses/football-analytics-course?ref=3f7c5c
⚽️ Football Analysis Education (Use code Gill10 for 10% off) – https://apfa.io/course/ref/chrisgill_UK/
📊 Become a data analyst with DataCamp: https://datacamp.pxf.io/WqBZGA
FREE RESOURCES
📋 CV Template – https://cvtemplate.chris-gill.com/download
📝 Cover Letter Template - https://coverletter.chris-gill.com/download
📚 Ultimate list of sports analysis/coaching books - https://books.chris-gill.com/download
MY OTHER SOCIALS
🌍 My Website – https://www.chris-gill.com
🆇 X/Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/chrisgill_UK
👨🏼💻 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgilluk
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1:05:22
Injuries are costing Premier League clubs MILLIONS! - Jason McKenna #66
Injuries are costing Premier League clubs MILLIONS! - Jason McKenna Jason McKenna is a Premier League injury and performance analyst.He has worked in the media and consulted with various clubs and organisations on all things injuries.I found this to be a really interesting conversation where we dived into the true cost of injuries, what injury trends Jason is seeing from his data, AI and much more!Timestamps below for your convenience, and please subscribe and give the video a like if you enjoy!Any questions, leave a comment below...0:00 - Introduction1:46 - Jason joins and gives background4:29 - Whats stats does Jason use?11:45 - Injuries per 1k mins played15:33 - Premier League trends and type of injuries21:20 - Playing through injuries26:23 - Time spent injured and the costs involved37:10 - Medical staff and mental health44:36 - When do most injuries occur?51:14 - More on AI, do kick off times matter?55:56 - Where can people learn more, summary & wrap upSome of Jason’s articles:The cost of injuries in the Premier League: https://analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2024/07/18/the-cost-of-injuries-in-the-premier-league-2023-2024/Mental Health and Injuries: https://analyticsfc.co.uk/blog/2024/06/11/could-improved-mental-health-provision-speed-up-physical-recovery/Check out Premier Injuries: https://www.premierinjuries.com/ #premierleague #liverpool #mancity #arsenal #rodri #injury #injuryupdate◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️USEFUL LINKS💻 Video Analysis Software (Tag your videos, add drawings, create playlists) - https://www.in-playsports.com/software/individuals🐍 Learn PYTHON for football analysis – https://mckay-s-site.thinkific.com/courses/football-analytics-course?ref=3f7c5c⚽️ Football Analysis Education (Use code Gill10 for 10% off) – https://apfa.io/course/ref/chrisgill_UK/📊 Become a data analyst with DataCamp: https://datacamp.pxf.io/WqBZGAFREE RESOURCES📋 CV Template – https://cvtemplate.chris-gill.com/download📝 Cover Letter Template - https://coverletter.chris-gill.com/download📚 Ultimate list of sports analysis/coaching books - https://books.chris-gill.com/downloadMY OTHER SOCIALS🌍 My Website – https://www.chris-gill.com🆇 X/Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/chrisgill_UK👨🏼💻 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgilluk
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58:01
From INTERN at Scunthorpe Utd, to working in the MLS - Harry Jamieson #65
From INTERN at Scunthorpe Utd, to working in the MLS - Harry Jamieson #65
Harry Jamieson is currently head of player development at new MLS side, San Diego FC.
Harry started his analysis career, back in the UK, as an intern at Scunthorpe United. After becoming head of analysis there, and spending 7 years at the club, he moved onto Rotherham United who were in the Championship at the time.
From Rotherham, he made his big move to the MLS, firstly to Toronto FC, before joining his current club, San Diego.
In this conversation we learn about Harrys journey and some of the experiences he has had along the way. We speak about working in the EFL with lots of games and very little resources.
If you like the video, please consider subscribing!
0:00 - Introduction
2:09 - Harry joins, background, starting in analysis
10:24 - Scunthorpe, moving up from an intern
13:19 - The changing role of an analyst, data
18:45 - Working in the EFL, low budgets and lots of travel
22:45 - Rotherham Utd
29:00 - Working with and learning from different managers
35:15 - Internships and analyst salaries
41:56 - Moving to Toronto
50:50 - Analysis departments in MLS
55:12 - Harrys new role at San Diego FC
1:07:45 - Advice for other analysts
1:10:25 - Wrap up, summary, book recommendation
Related Episodes
Scott Madle: https://youtu.be/N0pNiRmPUPw
Sam Green: https://youtu.be/WLKPLpTmtMc
Lucy Rushton: https://youtu.be/9tPdnQJ-Vl8
Tom Corden: https://youtu.be/8S3vr823ysU
Ewan Sharp: https://youtu.be/8aC01wQ_x-0
Book MentionedThe Last Lecture: https://amzn.to/3ZxPCDj
◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️
USEFUL LINKS
💻 Video Analysis Software (Tag your videos, add drawings, create playlists) - https://www.in-playsports.com/software/individuals
🐍 Learn PYTHON for football analysis – https://mckay-s-site.thinkific.com/courses/football-analytics-course?ref=3f7c5c
⚽️ Football Analysis Education (Use code Gill10 for 10% off) – https://apfa.io/course/ref/chrisgill_UK/
📊 Become a data analyst with DataCamp: https://datacamp.pxf.io/WqBZGA
FREE RESOURCES
📋 CV Template – https://cvtemplate.chris-gill.com/download
📝 Cover Letter Template - https://coverletter.chris-gill.com/download
📚 Ultimate list of sports analysis/coaching books - https://books.chris-gill.com/download
MY OTHER SOCIALS
🌍 My Website – https://www.chris-gill.com
🆇 X/Twitter – https://www.twitter.com/chrisgill_UK
👨🏼💻 LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisgilluk#sandiego #mls #scunthorpeutd #scunthorpe #footballanalysis #scouting
Join me where I sit down and chat with people working within professional sport from around the world.
Although my background is in sports analysis, you will find an array of people from scouts, coaches, sporting directors and everything in between.
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