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Raise Your Game 2017 Mentor Biographies

(Mentors are subject to change)

1. Media and Communications Page 2

2. Coaching and Management Page 11

3. Grassroots and Community Page 15

4. Player Services Page 21

5. Refereeing Page 23

6. Sports Science Page 24

7. Football Administration Page 25

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1. Media and Communications

Tom Adams

Deputy Managing Editor of website and app Eurosport

Twitter: @tomEurosport

Tom is the deputy managing editor of the Eurosport website and mobile app, overseeing news, feature, video and social media output. He has been working in digital sports newsrooms for over 10

years, including spells with ESPN, Sky Sports and the BBC amongst others.

Justin Allen

Sports Journalist The Sun

Twitter: @justinallen1976

Justin is a football writer for The Sun, having previously worked for The News of the World, The Times, Daily Express, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, the Evening Standard and BBC Radio Kent.

He started his career at the East Kent Mercury at the age of 19 and was named Kent Young Journalist of the Year in 1998 before winning the BT Regional Sports Writer of the Year in 1999. Justin also

worked for two years at the Evening Argus in Brighton between 1999-2001.

Nemesha Balasundaram Sub-Editor

Sky Sports News Twitter: @NemeshaB

Nemesha is a sub-editor at Sky Sports News, where she produces video content for the TV channel across a variety of sports including football, cricket, boxing and Formula 1. Her role also involves

writing stories and TV scripts to strict deadlines. Previously, Nemesha worked as a news and sports

reporter at The Irish Post across its digital and print platforms.

A law graduate, she received her NCTJ Diploma in Journalism with News Associates, graduating in summer 2015. That same year, Nemesha won the NCTJ’s Trainee Sports Journalism Award and was

also nominated for Young Sports Writer of the Year at the prestigious Sports Journalists' Association

awards in London.

Jordan Barrett-Bryan Sports Reporter

Channel 4

Twitter: @_jordanjbryan

Jordan is a freelance sports journalist and broadcaster working for Channel 4 News and Premier

League Productions amongst many. He also produces and hosts his own podcast. He began his career on his own due to a lack of opportunities and encourages anyone entering the industry to do

the same.

Richard Bates

National Communications Manager

SportsAid

Richard is the National Communications Manager at SportsAid – a charity helping the next generation

of British sports stars by providing them with financial support and recognition during the early stages of their careers.

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His role at SportsAid sees him managing all the charity's communications including its website, social

media platforms, newsletters, branding, publicity and content.

Richard joined SportsAid in September 2015 having previously been the Media and Communications

Manager at Kick It Out. Richard studied Sports Journalism at the University of Brighton where he gained experience with local newspapers.

Anne-Marie Batson

PR Consultant

Twitter: @AnnemarieBatson

Anne-Marie is Director of AmberGlass PR. She has built a reputation as an expert in her field who

offers fast and clear solutions for a range of public and private sector clients.

An ethical practitioner, Anne-Marie Batson is an accredited member of the Chartered Institute of

Public Relations. Her hope for the future is to work towards greater transparency between the sports industry, the media and the public.

Richard Beech

Digital Media Consultant

Freelance

Twitter: @BeechardRich

Richard is a digital media consultant specialising in sports journalism. He has worked as Sports Editor at BuzzFeed, an Editor at JOE, Social Lead at the BBC and as a football reporter for the Daily Mirror.

Alastair Bennett

Head of Publicity and Advocacy

Premier League

Twitter: @AlastairBe

Alastair is the Head of Publicity and Advocacy for the Premier League. His role is to support and

promote work undertaken which the Premier League provides financial support for. The League will giveaway £1billion in its current three-year funding cycle.

Previously, Alastair was Director of Communications for the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity.

Steve Bond

Public Relations Officer

Chelsea FC

Twitter: @SteveLBond

Steve started his career as a sports journalist for press agency Sportsbeat, covering numerous events

including the 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He worked his way to Editor of the agency before switching to a more PR-focused career with Chelsea FC.

Focusing on all Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)/Charitable operations within the club, Steve is responsible for first-team appearances to promote club and community activity, through local, national

and international media as well as club media.

Steve manages the relationship with the club’s Global Charity partner, Plan International (previously

Right To Play) as well as assisting with CSR requests from other club sponsors and stakeholders

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Lynne Cameron

Sports Photographer

Press Association

Twitter: @pasnapper

Lynne Cameron is an award winning sports photographer specialising in football with a keen interest

in promoting women behind the camera.

She started her career at Rangers FC before progressing to national newspapers. This was followed

by becoming a full-time staff photographer with Rangers, becoming the first woman to do so.

After nine years of successful management of digital media and photography, Lynne moved to the

Press Association as their first sports photographer in Scotland, a position that incorporated the role

of official photographer for Scottish Rugby.

Last summer Lynne went freelance and is currently working with clients and agencies including the

FA and Getty Images.

Matt Cecil

Head of Media

Wycombe Wanderers FC

Twitter: @mattcecil87

Matt is the Head of Media at Wycombe Wanderers, having previously been appointed to the club’s

board of directors, becoming the youngest director in the EFL at that time.

A lifelong fan of the club, Matt started out with a work experience placement, and has gone on to

take overall responsibility for all communications, including production of the matchday programme,

management of the website and creation of content for its social media platforms, which were recently ranked first and second for engagement in a Fanalyse study across all 92 league clubs.

Anthony Clavane

Freelance Sports Journalist

Twitter: @LUFCPromised

Anthony has been a national sports journalist for 20 years. He worked at the Independent and then the Sunday Mirror and Mirror for 18 years, covering World Cups and Olympics. He has written three

books and three plays about sport. He now writes for The New Statesman, The New European and

other publications.

David Conn

Sports Writer

The Guardian

Twitter: @david_conn

David Conn is a sports writer for the Guardian, focusing predominantly on aspects of the sport away

from the field of play. He has won numerous accolades for his writing including Sports Journalism Association’s sports news reporter of the year in 2004, 2009 and 2013.

He is also the author of The Football Business: Fair Game in the '90s?, The Beautiful Game? Searching the Soul of Football and Richer Than God: Manchester City, Modern Football and Growing

Up (2012).

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Robyn Cowen

Freelance Sports Reporter

Twitter: @robyniocowen

Robyn is a freelance sports reporter, working with the BBC on radio and television for the past seven

years. She has recently featured as a lead commentator on Match Of The Day. Robyn has also commentated on WSL highlights for the corporation.

Prior to working with The BBC, Robyn successfully completed a law degree from Oxford Brookes

University.

Sam Cunningham

Sports Writer

Daily Mail

Twitter: @samcunningham

Sam is a sports writer for the Daily Mail, Mail on Sunday and MailOnline. He has worked as a football

reporter for a decade, predominantly reporting on the game for the Mail and has also covered major sporting events such as Euro 2016, Wimbledon and the London 2012 Olympics.

Neil Dejyothin

Senior Producer

SI Games Twitter: @neildejyothin

Neil developed his own online football game in his teens before working on various football titles including Football Manager, Championship Manager, FIFA, Total Club Manager, PureFootball and

PureFootball Manager. At Sports Interactive and on Football Manager, Neil leads the Match Engine

team, who are responsible for all of the artificial intelligence for the match simulation and all the graphics, animations, motion capture and visuals. Steve has also coached QOR Ladies in his spare

time and is the Home Counties U18s Girls Regional Coach for the Independent Schools FA.

Mimi Fawaz Freelance Sports Journalist

Twitter: @MimosaFawaz

Mimi is a sports journalist, premium show host and presenter of Sports360 on Vox Africa. She's also a

freelance journalist at BBC Sport World Service and a CNN contributor on African football.

Scott Field Director of Communications

Team GB

Twitter: @scottjfield

Scott is the Director of Communications for the British Olympic Association – having worked at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games – and has worked in elite sport for nearly two decades. Previously Scott worked

as Head of Communications at The FA, working with England teams but having primary responsibility

for the communication of all of the FA’s disciplinary matters.

Scott also worked for Watford and West Bromwich Albion in both the Premier League and Championship, and has been to World Cups, European Championships and UEFA Champions league

Finals.

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Rob Harris

Global Sports Writer Associated Press

Twitter: @RobHarris

Rob is Global Football Writer for The Associated Press (AP). Based in Britain, he leads coverage of the

sport for the international news agency. He also appears on TV and radio stations analysing football

issues and wider sports news.

He has reported for the AP for a decade after previously writing for newspapers, with a strong focus

on the political maneuverings in football and other sports. In recent years, Rob has covered World Cups, European Championships and Olympic Games.

Warren Haughton

Senior Digital Sports Reporter

The Sun

Twitter: @WarrenHaughton

Warren started his media career in London working for respected sports news agency Hayters.

He then moved on to work for TalkSPORT, the biggest commercial sports radio station in the world.

After more than a decade in radio, Warren then joined The Sun as a Senior Digital Sports Reporter.

Natasha Henry

Sports Journalist

Twitter: @NatashaSHenry

Natasha is a freelance sports journalist. She has been Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Women in Sport magazine for over four years, involving such critical skills as obtaining independent finance,

employing and paying staff and building relationships with printers and distributors among others. Natasha has also written for The Voice Newspaper and the TalkSPORT website in her career.

Rodney Hinds

Sports and Features Editor

The Voice

Twitter: @hindsight4Sport

Rodney Hinds is the Sports & Features Editor of The Voice Newspaper. Few have worked as tirelessly to promote the sporting exploits and achievements of the black community in British sport and

beyond.

During his time at the UK's longest-running newspaper for the black community, he has interviewed

numerous sporting greats, including Kobe Bryant, Lennox Lewis, Thierry Henry, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Viv Richards.

Greg Johnson

Squawka

Twitter: @gregianjohnson

Greg is Features Editor for the football website Squawka.com and a freelance football writer who has

written for FourFourTwo, Vice, The Guardian, The Blizzard and other outlets.

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He will be on hand to share his experiences breaking into the world of football journalism to build a

career out of blogging, with insight on how to make it as a writer without a journalism degree, plus the key mistakes to avoid along the way.

Adrian Kajumba

Football Reporter

Daily Mirror

Twitter: @AdrianJKajumba

Adrian is a football reporter at The Daily Mirror, predominantly covering the London clubs. Before moving to the Mirror in 2015, Adrian spent almost five years at The Daily Star as a sports reporter,

again covering the London clubs but also major sporting events like the London Olympics and

Wimbledon.

Adrian has been a sports reporter for over 12 years now having started out at The Daily Echo

newspaper in Southampton.

Iain Liddle

Head of Social Media

BT Sport

Twitter: @IainLiddle

Iain is Head of Social Media for BT Sport in London and has worked in sports industry for more than

eight years.

He was previously a member of the media partnerships team at Twitter UK where he worked with

individual athletes, teams, leagues, organisations and broadcasters to grow and understand their

audiences on Twitter, Vine and Periscope.

Iain trained as a journalist and, prior to joining Twitter UK, worked as Media Manager at Charlton

Athletic FC where he developed the club’s digital communications strategy and built relationships with regional, national and European media.

Charlie Long

Digital Media Officer

Leyton Orient FC

Twitter: @charlielong93

Charlie is the Digital Media Officer at Leyton Orient FC, which involves editing the matchday magazine, maintaining the club website, producing video content and managing the club’s social

media platforms every matchday as well as throughout the week.

Charlie studied Sports Journalism at the University of East London, and whilst undertaking the course

worked for Leyton Orient on a voluntary basis in several roles such as youth team correspondent, programme contributor and matchday assistant. He was handed a full-time role with the club

following the completion of the degree in the summer of 2016. Charlie’s accolades include winning the Sky Bet League Two Programme of the Year for the 2015-16 season.

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Danny Lynch

Senior Communications Manager

The FA

Twitter: @DannyTLynch

Danny is the Senior Communications Manager for the National Game at The Football Association. He

leads the media team on activity based around inclusion and anti-discrimination.

Prior to working at The FA, Danny was Media and Communications Manager at Kick It Out for six

years.

Leon Mann

Interviewer, Consultant, Film-maker

Twitter: @Leon_Mann

Leon is a highly experienced sports journalist in print and onscreen. A frequent columnist for The

Voice Newspaper, after working for Kick It Out he went on to cover the London Olympics (BBC), the

UEFA European Championships (ITV), and is a regular presenter and reporter for a range of sports

programming including Football Focus and Match of the Day.Leon has made acclaimed documentaries

on Usain Bolt. He is the founder of BCOMS, the Black Collective of Media in Sport and the Football

Black List.

Mike McGrath

Senior Sunday Football Writer

Sun on Sunday

Twitter: @mcgrathmike

Mike started on the Press Association graduate scheme in 2004 and worked on their sports desk,

before being appointed as a London reporter covering Tottenham Hotspur, England Under-21s and

the 2008 European Championships.

In 2010 he moved to Wardles News Agency, working directly for national newspaper desks and

covering matches, press conferences and office shifts. Mike has been working at The Sun since 2013, firstly as a reporter in the North West before taking a nationwide role.

Tom Rennie

TalkSPORT

Twitter: @thomasjrennie

Tom is the Executive Editor of TalkSPORT’s international Premier League coverage – covering every

Premier League match to 70 territories outside the UK in English, Spanish & Mandarin, plus selected other languages, including Arabic. The department also covers selected Bundesliga matches for

international partners.

Tom is also the presenter of shows on the TalkSPORT platforms including ‘Saturday and Sunday

Starts Here’ and the ‘Premier League Preview Show’.

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Dharmesh Sheth

Sports Reporter

Sky Sports News HQ

Twitter: @skysports_sheth

Dharmesh Sheth has been with the company for nearly 19 years and covers all sports for the channel

– in particular football, golf and tennis. He has interviewed many of sport's top personalities including Jose Mourinho, Zlatan, Paul Pogba, Rory McIlroy, Roger Federer and Andy Murray.

Kadeem Simmonds

Morning Star

Twitter: @KadeemSimmonds

Kadeem has spent the last three years as the Sports Editor of the Morning Star newspaper, becoming the first black sports editor of daily UK newspaper.

Before joining the Star, Kadeem spent a few years freelancing for non-league website Football

Exclusives and Hayters, covering games from Women's Football to the Champions League.

Amar Singh Freelance Journalist

Twitter: @amarjourno

Amar Singh is a journalist with more than 15 years of experience in the industry. Amar has worked

for several publications and websites including the London Evening Standard, the Sunday Times,

Squawka and Goal. Amar is a director of the London Press Club and organises events for aspiring journalists.

Anna Thompson

Assistant Editor

BBC Sport Twitter: @BBCAnnaT

After leaving journalism college and working for local newspapers, Anna worked on the BBC website

when it was first created.

As part of her role, Anna covers Olympic sports, winter and summer and promotes women's sport

across all platforms.

During her time at the BBC Anna has played a key role in the Sport website and deciding which sports news stories should be covered and the best way to present them, ensuring content is integrated

with radio and television output.

Clive Tyldesley

Football Commentator

ITV Sport

Twitter: @CliveTyldesley

Lancashire-born Clive began his career in local radio in Nottingham and Liverpool before joining Granada TV in 1987. He graduated into network television via a stint as a reporter on ITV’s popular

football magazine ‘Saint’n’Greavsie’ before moving to BBC television’s sports department in 1992.

Four years later, ITV asked him to return to understudy Brian Moore at the 1998 World Cup in

readiness for Clive’s elevation to his current position of senior commentator. He has since led ITV’s

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commentary team at five European Championships and four World Cup finals, broadcasting to

audiences in excess of 20 million on three occasions.

Henry Winter

Chief Football Writer

The Times

Twitter: @henrywinter

Henry is a football journalist who has covered the upper echelons of the English and International

game for over 30 years. Starting at the Independent in 1986, he wrote about sport and schools before moving to the Daily Telegraph where he eventually became Chief Football Correspondent.

Henry has since moved to The Times as Chief Football Writer and has covered seven World Cups

alongside writing books with football legends including Steven Gerrard, John Barnes and Kenny Dalglish.

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2. Coaching and Management

Martin Allen

Former manager at Barnet, Brentford & Gillingham

A former professional footballer with the likes of QPR and West Ham United, Martin was part of the

promotion teams of 1991 and 1993 with the Hammers. Martin is an experienced boss who has managed Barnet, Brentford, MK Dons, Leicester City, Notts County and Gillingham, amongst others.

He enjoyed great success in his first season in charge of Gillingham as he guided them to promotion, it was their first trophy in nearly 50 years and Martin was later named the Manager of the Year in the

division.

Martin is also a graduate of the LMA's Certificate in Applied Management at Warwick University.

Peter Augustine

County Coach Developer Surrey FA

Twitter: @surrey_ccd

Peter is a County Coach Developer at The Football Association, working in the county of Surrey. He

has been a coaching mentor at The FA since 2014 following a seven-year association with Hampton

and Richmond Borough. Peter has also worked at Eton College and Chelsea Football Club as a coach.

Dean Austin

Ex-Watford First-Team Coach Twitter: @dean316austin

Dean is an ex-professional football player for Tottenham Hotspur and Crystal Palace, making over 400 career appearances. He is a Pro Licence holder, the highest award that can be held in his profession.

As a coach/manager for over 14 years, Dean has been involved in three promotions and worked in

the Premier League.

Dean has learnt Spanish over recent years and worked with two Spanish managers at Watford, while

there he won promotion from the Championship and the Hornets retained their status in The Premier League and reached an FA Cup Semi Final.

Bobby Bowry

Volenti Agency and Academy Twitter: @bobbybowry8

Bobby is a former professional player who has played for Crystal Palace, QPR and Millwall as well as representing Saint Kitts and Nevis.

He has been the Director of Player Development for Volenti since 2009. Volenti is a football

intermediary organisation which assists players and managers with the negotiation of contracts and is also a coaching academy, offering opportunities to young players.

Sam Cox Academy Coach & semi-professional footballer

Tottenham Hotspur Twitter: @TheSamCox

Sam has over 15 years of experience in football as a player in the national leagues and he’s an

Academy Coach at Tottenham Hotspur.

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His full-time role sees him work with the Spurs Foundation, alongside assisting with the Under-12s

and Under-16s academy squads. Sam currently plays at National League side Wealdstone and is also captain of the Guyana national team.

Anthony Ferguson County Coach Developer

The FA

Twitter: @B19ALF

Anthony is currently an FA County Coach Developer and he is responsible for managing coach

development and coach education delivery across London. As an A Licence Diploma and Youth Award holder, Anthony has supported over 400 coaches in the 2016/17 season through various events. He is

the lead of the London Coaches Academy and also supports the Female Coaches Network.

Anthony is a member of the Chartered Management Institute and also the Professional Football Coaches

Association. He is a qualified Mediator, and also delivers lectures at Kingston University. Anthony has a

career background in Education, Law, Finance, Management and Community services.

Marcus Gayle

Coach, Mentor / Tutor for Kick It Out Twitter: @marcus11gayle

Marcus is a former international footballer who currently works alongside Kick It Out to develop

Premier League academy players’ understanding of equality and inclusion as part of the Equality Inspires programme, which is run in partnership with the Premier League.

He played for the likes of Brentford and Wimbledon during his time as a player, and also featured for Jamaica at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. Marcus also had a spell as manager of Staines Town between

2012-2014.

Nick Haycock

Club Support Manager Premier League

Before his role at the Premier League, Nick was the Head of Coaching and Senior Professional

Development Phase Coach at West Ham United, where he was part of Sam Allardyce’s coaching

team.

Kenny Jackett Academy Coach

Tottenham Hotspur

Kenny was a one-club man for Watford during his playing days, turning out for Wales as well on the

international stage.

Injury cut short his playing days but he started his coaching and managerial career at Vicarage Road,

he then assisted Ian Holloway at QPR before taking charge at Swansea City, where he gained promotion.

Kenny took charge of Millwall and led them back to the Championship in 2010 and then subsequently

reached an FA Cup Semi Final with the Lions. In May 2013 he left The Den and took Wolves back to the Championship, gaining a points record for the club and picking up a joint award for the League

One Manager of the Year in 2013/14.

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Michael Johnson

Technical/Sporting Director & Derby County Ambassador Twitter: @jonsarno

Michael is a former footballer who made more than 550 appearances in the Football League and Premier League, including 262 games for Birmingham City and more than 100 each for Notts County,

the club where he began his professional career, Sheffield Wednesday and Derby County.

Although born in Nottingham, he’s a full Jamaican international and played 12 times for the national team. He retired as a player at the end of 2008/09, and took up the post of youth team manager with

Notts County. Michael is a UEFA Pro Licence coach and Ambassador at Birmingham City FC.

Kevin Nicholson

UEFA Pro & A Licence Coach Twitter: @kevinnicholson1

Kevin is the youngest English coach to hold the UEFA Pro Licence. He is a highly qualified and

experienced professional football coach with over 10 years of coaching experience at Academy level, working with players from Under-8s through to Under-23s as well as at first-team level in the Sky Bet

Championship. He also holds the FA Elite Coaches Award & UEFA A Licence.

Kevin was most recently Under-23s Head Coach at Cardiff City FC and has also held coaching

positions at Exeter City FC, Derby County FC and Stoke City FC.

Rajab Noor Coach Mentor

The FA Twitter: @CoachNoor

Rajab is a professional football coach with over 10 years’ experience, he joined The FA in 2014 as a skills coach. He held coaching roles positons at the likes of Halesowen Town and Halesown College

whilst studying for a degree in Sports and Applied Psychology, before graduating in 2011.

Dean Palmer Academy Coach

Millwall FC Twitter: @Palmz30

Dean has a long association with Millwall, currently working for their academy and as a project

worker at the Lions’ community Trust.

Chris Ramsey Technical Director

QPR

A former player, Chris turned out for Bristol City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Swindon Town, Southend

United, Naxxar Lions and Cocoa Expos.

In 1998 Chris began working for the FA, holding the position of Regional Director of Coaching. While working for the FA he served as the head coach of the men’s Under-20 side, as well as the assistant

coach of the Under-16 and Under-17 age groups.

Chris coached for Tottenham Hotspur, working with their academy and was also a first-team coach

under Tim Sherwood. He has also been a caretaker and permanent manager of QPR and is currently Technical Director at the west London club.

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Steve Smithies

Coach Mentor The FA

Steve is the FA Regional Coach Mentor Officer for the North West, managing and supporting over 50

FA Coach Mentors across seven County FA's in his region.

His work involves supporting and developing Coach Mentors, Mentees, Grassroots Clubs and Coaches.

Steve, who is an A Licence Coach, is also the lead for the Mentor Programme on BAME inclusion initiatives. He is also a FA Tutor, delivering FA Level 1 and 2 coaching awards as well as the FA

Mentoring Adults course.

Manisha Tailor MBE

QPR Academy Coach

Twitter: @Swaggarlicious_

Manisha is a qualified head-teacher (Primary School) and UEFA B Licenced coach. She has worked in grassroots football for more than 15 years including running after school clubs, local community

sessions, as well as club level coaching.

Manisha is currently director of Swaggarlicious Ltd which uses football and education to empower young people and an Under-9s Academy Coach at QPR FC.

Anwar Uddin

Former Barnet and West Ham United coach

Twitter: @AnwarU01

Anwar, a former professional footballer and coach, is the Diversity and Campaigns Manager for the

Football Supporters’ Federation (FSF) and leads on the Fans for Diversity campaign which is run in partnership with Kick It Out.

He made history by becoming both the first British Asian to captain and manage a Football League

team, after a short spell as Assistant Manager at League Two Barnet. He went on to manage at non-league level with Maldon & Tiptree, Sporting Bengal and Ware FC and spent time coaching at West

Ham United’s Academy.

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3. Grassroots and Community

Richard Allicock

Community Development Manager Tottenham Hotspur FC

Twitter: @Richiespice007

After a promising football career did not materialise, Richard started casually coaching at a

Tottenham Hotspur community project running on the Broadwater Farm estate.

Richard is Community Development Manager at Tottenham Hotspur Foundation having become an inspirational figure within the area in which he grew up, ensuring the next generation of young

people growing up in similar circumstances are given opportunities to develop and progress. Jake Ashton Football Development Administrator

Hampshire FA Twitter: @HampshireFA_FDA

Jake has been with Hampshire FA since 2016 after graduating from Southampton Solent University in

July 2016 with a 2:1 in Sports Coaching.

Through coaching and work, Jake has collaborated with partners such as Southampton FC, Basingstoke Town, AFC Bournemouth and The FA. His role requires him to run 11v11 leagues, Male &

Female Futsal League, organise and plan continuous professional development events as well as many other diverse roles.

Francesca Brown

CEO

Goals4Girls

Twitter: @Goals4girlsuk

Francesca is the CEO for Goals4girls, an award-winning football development programme which

empowers young women through sports and education.

Goals4Girls works alongside leading organisations such as London FA, Tottenham Hotspur, Barking Abbey and London Youth to deliver opportunities to women including FA Level 1 Qualifications, coach

re-integration, work experience, individual player development, and more.

Rob Burton

Deputy CEO

Dash

Twitter: @disabilityfball

Rob is the Deputy Director at DASH, a charity that delivers one of the UK’s largest disability sports

programmes. He is also the Caribbean Coordinator with The Jason Roberts Foundation and directs the

inclusive football provision in Grenada.

Rob has worked with the PFA in the role of Senior Player Tutor in the Equalities Department and is a

Patron of The Golf Trust. He has been a mentor and hands on supporter at Kick It Out for seven years.

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Rob Clarke

Head of Participation

Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust

Twitter: @robclarke08

Rob is the Head of Participation for Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust. In addition to

the day-to-day duties, Rob is also Safeguarding and Equality lead for the Trust, as well as delivering on behalf of the FA as an Affiliate Tutor (Safeguarding).

Rob, a former Wimbledon FC community apprentice, has experience of working within the professional game for over two decades including recently celebrating his twentieth year of working

for the Hornets.

Kevin Coleman

Equality and Diversity Manager

The FA

Twitter: @kevinrcoleman

Kevin works on inclusion across all grassroots football, primarily working with the 50 County Football

Associations but also on The FA’s large participation programmes, like FA Skills and working directly with communities, writing The FA’s plan to increase Asian Inclusion ‘Bringing Opportunities to

Communities’.

Previously he worked on grassroots and community football at Kick It Out, working with County FAs,

Asian communities, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, faith groups and refugees and asylum

seekers.

Aristote Diamos

Employability Officer

West Ham United Foundation

Aristote has worked in a number of countries before taking his current role as Employability Officer at

West Ham United’s Foundation.

His role allows him to oversee the education programme across the Foundation. While working with

the club’s Foundation, he also co-founded a sports group which consist of acquisition of football

clubs, sponsorships and partnership activation for both players and clubs across Europe.

Francis Duku

Our Game

Twitter: @Our_Game

Francis is an ex semi-pro footballer who after having a long career in the City of London in the world

of investment management, has gone on to found Our Game, a nationwide football based support service for all players and clubs regardless of level or commitment, and also The ASPSU, the UK's only

trade union exclusively dedicated to amateur and semi-professional players.

In this time, Francis has also worked extensively within football in a number of areas for a number of

leading organisations such Kick It Out, Show Racism the Red Card, and The FA.

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Lindsay England

Founder

Just a Ball Game

Twitter: @justaballgame

Lindsay has volunteered in sport for over 35 years and actively campaigns for LGB&T inclusion and

visibility whilst also challenging homophobia for the past 15 years.

Lindsay is founder of JUST A BALL GAME?, a football-related campaign which promotes LGB&T

inclusion and challenges homophobia, biphobia and transphobia. Alongside this, Lindsay also co-founded Bradford City’s LGBT fan group in 2015.

At present Lindsay is in her second part-time Ground Safety Officer role with AFC Rushden &

Diamonds. Lindsay, alongside Chris Gibbons from Inside Inclusion, provided the material for Kick It Out’s ‘Tackling Homophobic, Biphobic and Transphobic Discrimination in Football Stadia’ booklet and

small pocket guide.

Tom Flower

Head of Community

Wigan Athletic Community Trust

Tom has worked in professional football for 14 years and for the last five years has been Head of

Community at Wigan Athletic’s Community Trust, having previously been employed in a number of roles at Manchester City.

A qualified journalist, Tom has a Masters in Community Sports Development having studied the

impact the Kicks project had on the communities of Moss Side and Fallowfield while working at City.

Tom is Wigan Athletic’s joint lead for equality and diversity and as part of the Club’s Together

programme and is helping to lead on its submission for the Intermediate Level for the Premier League Equality Standard.

Kevin George

Human Performance Consultant

Freelance

Twitter: @_KevinGeorge

Kevin is a Human Performance Consultant whose work focuses on Behaviour Driven Development

(BDD). Having studied counselling and Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Kevin helps improve behavioural patterns, performance and learning outcomes.

Collectively over 50,000 people have taken part in Kevin's behavioural programmes worldwide.

Howard Gould

Community Liaison Officer

Leyton Orient Trust

Twitter: @GouldHoward

Howard started working for Leyton Orient’s Community Programme, now the Trust, in 2004 as a part-

time coach and has since progressed to Development Coach, before taking the role of Community Liaison Officer for the Trust and Club, splitting the role between the two - a unique position in the

Football League.

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Howard’s work has included leading a trophy winning NCS project, facilitating an award winning

mental health programme, liaising with over 100 local primary, secondary and educational establishments and currently includes working with the Leyton Orient’s first-team players,

organising their duties within the community.

Sam Gillings

Community Trust Administrator

Watford FC’s Community Sports & Education Trust

Sam is a qualified level 2 football coach, volunteering for Hertfordshire’s largest all female grassroots

football club. He has led on the ‘Premier League Enterprise Challenge’ programme working with students from local schools, during his time with Watford.

Prior to joining Watford FC’s Sport & Education Trust, Sam spent five years working for Sport England’s Quality Scheme within sport and leisure throughout the UK.

Prathiv Kholia

Football Development Manager British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS)

Twitter: @kholia24

At BUCS, Prathiv leads on delivering The FA’s strategy within Higher Education, day-to-day

relationship managing with over 80 institutions, covering strategically placing funding, delivering

conferences & training, leadership development to ensuring a competitive and fit for purpose competition programme.

Prathiv graduated from Anglia Ruskin University with a Sports Development & Physical Education degree. He has recently just completed a corporate governance course with the FA Governance

Forum.

Joe Lyons

Foundation Chief Executive

West Ham United FC

With over ten years’ experience working across the community sports sector, Joe has been

instrumental in linking education with traditional football-themed programmes. Since joining the West

Ham United Foundation in June 2013, Joe has created innovative ways to break down social barriers for young people to achieve.

With a strong understanding of the affect football has on attitudes towards learning, he has developed a number of sport-based projects in order to foster opportunities for local residents.

Lincoln Moses

Continental Star

Twitter: @lincolnmoses

Lincoln has over 30 years of experience in working with young people using sport, and in particular

football, as a gateway to new pathways. It is with his experience of sports engagement, holiday programmes, mentoring in schools and a solid reputation in international race awareness projects,

that he uses sport to engage and develop young people.

He is also Chairperson of Holford Drive Sports Hub, which is the first purpose build Inner City Multi

Sports Complex in Birmingham. In order to provide opportunities at the Hub he works to understand

the environment within which it operates from a strategic perspective, following its opening by HRH Prince William in 2014.

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Christina Oshodi

County Coach Developer The FA

Twitter: @ChristinaOshodi

Christina currently works for The FA as a County Coach Developer for Middlesex. She delivers

coaching qualifications and continuous professional development for the grassroots coaching

workforce, as well as develop, mentor and support an affiliate tutor workforce in Middlesex.

Christina has been working in football and education for over 15 years in various roles and settings

both here in the UK and abroad.

Dave Palmer

Community Liaison Executive Professional Footballers Association

Dave was a young professional at Wrexham Football Club during the late 1970’s. He then moved into

a role as a Football Development Manager working in partnership with several local authorities, The FA and Sport England.

In 1991 he took up a position as the South East Regional Director for the National Football League in the Community Programme working closely with Chief Executives at Premier League and Football

League Clubs.

Dave subsequently joined the PFA as a Community Liaison Executive for the South which involves working with various personnel at clubs within the EFL, advising on and monitoring player

engagement.

Liz Pill

Head of Delivery Berks and Bucs FA

Twitter: @LizPillSport

Liz has over 25 years’ experience within voluntary sport and 14 years’ experience in sport professionally.

She has held the role of Football Development Officer at Dorset FA where she was part of the

Bournemouth Schools Game 2012 team, co-ordinating 18 county school competitions across eight

venues with the Olympic 2012 torch going through Bournemouth. Liz then moved onto Berks & Bucks FA in her current role as County Development Manager.

Karen Ray

Women & Girls Development Manager

West Ham United Foundation

Karen has been the Women & Girls Officer for West Ham United Foundation since September 2016. This is addition to her role as Women & Girls Manager for the Foundation.

She also has a bachelor’s degree in Sport & Exercise Science, a Masters in Sports Performance & Nutrition.

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Riz Rehman

Director

Zesh Rehman Foundation

Twitter: @RizRrehman

Riz is a former professional footballer with Brentford FC. After leaving the game, Riz gained a First

Class Honours degree in Sports Science and embarked on his coaching qualifications, currently holding the UEFA B Licence.

He is part of the Education Department at the PFA and works on the PFA’s ‘Achievement Through Sport’ programme which offers advice, guidance and support to club community schemes across

London and the South West.

Riz is currently on the Inclusion Advisory Groups for the Hampshire FA and the Berks/Bucks FA, a director at the Zesh Rehman Foundation and on the Advisory Group for the Premier Leagues ‘Elite

Coach Apprenticeship Scheme.

Temisan Williams

Senior Education Officer

West Ham United Foundation

Over the last seven years, Temisan has been coaching in a variety of grassroots and elite academy

settings, whilst completing a Sports Science MSc at Brunel University.

At present, Temisan oversees the Education department at West Ham United Foundation as the

Senior Education Officer, whilst also coaching at Southend United FC as the Under-15s Lead Academy

Coach.

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4. Player services

Ravit Anand Sports PR, Networking & Player Liaison

AtTheMatch

Twitter: @RavitAnand

Ravit works for AtTheMatch, a personal Sports PR, Networking and Representation Agency that takes a long-term approach to their members in the world of business and sport. They represent a number

of footballers and Ravit liaises with the players on their books.

Eddie Duah

Football Intermediary @realeddieduah

Eddie is a former professional footballer, who after finishing his playing career, has gained a great deal of experience working as an intermediary. Previously, he worked as an agent for World in Motion

agency, and now is Director for Command Sports and Entertainment.

Liz Ellen Head of Sport

Mishcon de Reya LLP Twitter: @SportsLawLiz

Liz is a Partner and Head of the Sports Group for law firm Mishcon de Reya LLP.

She has represented clients in cases before FIFA, the European Boxing Union, the Basketball

Arbitration Tribunal and the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as well as domestic tribunals such as the

Football Associations of England, Scotland and Wales, the British Boxing Board of Control, the British Horseracing Authority and UK Anti-Doping.

Liz is also a director of Women In Football, and a member of the British Association of Sport and Law (BASL).

Marlon Fleischmann

Director Unique Sports Management

Marlon has been a licensed agent since 2007, and works closely with players and agents on all aspects of their careers.

He now leads Unique Sports Management; an agency representing the representing a number of

players at the highest level of English football.

Steve Kabba Player Mentor and Recruiter

Stella Group Twitter: @STKabba

Steve was a striker who played professional football from 1999 to 2013. After his retirement he began working for Stellar Group Limited, a multi-national, full service sports consultancy, the company has

grown to become one of the biggest and most successful sports management companies in the world.

As a former player, he can communicate with players on both a personal and football level offering

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advice on their game and on life as a footballer in the public eye.

Tony Paraschou

Player agent P4P Sports Management

Twitter: @mutcho

Tony is an agent at P4P Sports Management, P4P offers tailor-made advice not only for footballers but for all sportsmen and women who want to get the most out of their talent.

They can advise and negotiate on behalf of players and handle off-the-pitch matters like property.

Aaron Remikie

Licensed agent

Unique Sports Management

Aaron works as an intermediary, bridging the gap between professional players and agents for

Unique Sports Management.

His role consists of ensuring player clients are delivered the highest possible level of service and

guidance, maximising earning potential and delivering clear career progression.

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5. Refereeing

Andrew Bailey

Referee Development Officer Hampshire FA

Twitter: @acgbailey

Andrew has been working for Hampshire FA as part of their refereeing team since July 2016, having finished university at Southampton Solent. During his time at university he attended Raise your Game

as a mentee. Andrew has also completed the Kick It Out Equality and Diversity Awareness course.

Farai Hallam

Senior Referee Officer The FA

Twitter: @f_hallam

Farai is a former professional footballer, now turned referee. At the age of 16 Farai signed for Stevenage FC, spending two years there before moving on to C.F. Federico Mayo, based in Jerez,

Spain, for a season.

At the age of 19 he started work at The FA, which was shortly followed by the start of his refereeing

career.

Mary Harmer Referee Development Officer

Suffolk FA Twitter: @Mary_Harmer

Mary studied for a Sports & PE degree at the University of Bedfordshire before joining Suffolk FA as a Referee Development Officer in November 2015.

During her time at University, she volunteered through the FA Football Futures Programme to gain

experience within a County FA, taking on roles within the Referee Development Team and Youth Council.

Lucy Oliver Referee

The FA

Twitter: @LucyOliver_7

Lucy is a FA Level 3 Referee operating up to the Vanarama National League in the men’s game as well

as The FA WSL and International fixtures in the women’s game.

In 2016 Lucy was one of the appointed officials to The FA Women’s Cup Final at Wembley Stadium. As

a referee, Lucy has officiated and tutored abroad including trips to South Africa, Botswana, America

and Japan.

Aside from her refereeing, Lucy works as a Sports Development Officer at Sunderland College.

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6. Sports science

Sharon Heidaripour

Sports Therapist Twitter: @OneLifePerform

Sharon works as a sports therapist and fitness coach with players ranging from grassroots level,

through non-league and Premier League academy clubs such as Arsenal FC and Chelsea FC.

She has also had roles at international level, with experience at the Caribbean Cup, Women’s Euro,

Women’s World Cups and the 2012 London Olympics.

Matt Lawson

Dietician and Nutritionist Team GB, Notts County FC & FA Women’s Super League

Twitter: @MattLawson7

Matt is a MNUTR Registered Dietitian who currently works as a part-time dietician at Notts County’s Academy. His experience includes working with Team GB including Paralympic Weightlifting, as well

as coaching experience in the women’s game.

He has been in charge of nutrition at a number of professional football clubs, including the Academy

Development field and in the FA Women’s Super League with Notts County Ladies who reached the

FA Cup Final in 2015. Matt lectures at DeMontfort University as well as being Head of MLSports.

Steve Quinton

Academy Therapist

West Ham United FC

Steve is a therapist with 24 years’ experience in professional football, working for Barnet, Brentford,

Crystal Palace and Leyton Orient

He has also been an FA Medical Tutor for 21 years and is currently FA Tutor Developer (Medical) for

London and the south east.

Marcia Wilson Associate Dean

School of Health, Sport and Bioscience

Dr Marcia Wilson is an Associate Dean in the School of Health, Sport and Bioscience at the University of East London. She has a PhD in Sport Psychology from the University of Iowa, USA.

Marcia has taught and researched in higher education for over 25 years, as well as working for the Football Association for eight years. She is a mentor to both staff and students at the university.

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7. Football Administration

Richard Allen

Head of Talent ID for England The FA

Richard Allen is Head of Talent ID for England at The Football Association. His role involves

overseeing talent ID across all the men and women’s national sides, and helping continue to develop and deliver The FA’s Talent ID Education Programme.

Richard also held the position of head of recruitment at Tottenham Hotspur for eight years and was most recently Head of Academy at Queens Park Rangers.

Rachel Dunbar Head of Youth Operations

Premier League

Rachel has worked within the Football industry for nearly 17 years. Starting her career within The FA events team, she spent five years organising and delivering England Senior Internationals and FA Cup

Finals before Rachel moved across to the Premier League to work on what became the organisation’s flagship good causes programme ‘Creating Chances’.

Rachel led on the planning and delivery of the London 2012 Football Tournament for London

Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games where she spent four years.

Following a two season taster of club football as Assistant Club Secretary at Brighton & Hove Albion

Football Club, Rachel returned to the Premier League in 2014 where she has recently been promoted to Head of Youth Operations.

Alex Eckhout

Planning and Projects Manager

Premier League Twitter: @AlexEckhout

Alex attended Kick It Out’s ‘Leading the Way’ conference in March 2011. After making valuable

connections she went on to gain work experience with the Premier League and was appointed Press

& Information Executive in September 2011.

Alex now is Planning and Project Manager, focusing on the Premier League’s business strategy and forward planning, bringing different aspects of their work together.

Martyn Heather

Head of Education Premier League

Twitter: @martyn_heather

Martyn started his career teaching Physical Education. During this period he held a number of

coaching positions at English professional football clubs.

In 1998, Wimbledon FC asked him to move from his youth team coaching role to become the Head of

Education and Welfare, three years later he was appointed Academy Director of their highly rated

Academy.

In 2009 Martyn joined the Premier League as Head of Education and Welfare. Since then he has

played a pivotal role in the development of the new Elite Player Performance Plan which set out the blueprint for a new Youth Development system in English professional football and which promotes

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the holistic development of young players.

Ian Herding

Academy Welfare Officer Southampton FC

Ian has been with Southampton for nearly five years. During that time, he has worked in various roles with the welfare department, which include player transport logistics, host family

accommodation and general player discussions.

His role more recently included the development of the club’s life skills programme and helping

players to find new clubs or new ventures following release. Ian is also actively involved with the scholars’ parents, making sure they’re up-to-date while their sons are living away from home.

Leanne Mayo

Chief Operating Officer Scunthorpe United FC

Leanne is a qualified accountant and qualified tax adviser with broad experience spanning 18 years in finance starting in practice and then moving into the football industry.

In 2010, Leanne was appointed Financial Controller at Notts County and was also involved in

Nottingham Rugby and Notts County Ladies.

Following several years with Notts County, Leanne was appointed Chief Operating Officer at

Scunthorpe United FC in 2015. Leanne’s current role sees her utilise her accounting, HR and admin skills. Leanne has been part of the FA’s Women’s Leadership Programme that has run this season.

Emma Vetriano Marketing Manager

Brentford FC

Twitter: @EmmaVetriano

Emma graduated from the University of Exeter in 2011 with a BA (Hons) in International Relations

and from Birkbeck, University of London, in 2016 with an MSc in Sports Management and Marketing.

Throughout her full-time and part-time studies, Emma gained valuable matchday operations

experience through roles at Opta Sports, Emirates Stadium, Harlequins Rugby Union, Summer Social and Exeter Chiefs Rugby, amongst others.

Emma joined Brentford FC as Marketing Manager, whilst completing a Post Graduate Certificate in

Sports Law via distance learning. She also serves on the EFL's Digital Working Group and Brentford’s

Diversity and Inequality Committee and mentors for Brentford's Community Sports Trust.

Lowri Williams

Player Liaison & Partnership Manager The FA

Twitter: @lowri_1987

Lowri has recently taken up a new role as Player Liaison and Partnerships Manager for The England

Lionesses at The Football Association, following two years in the marketing team managing The FA

Women's Super League and The SSE Women's FA Cup.

She has also been a part-time coach for the last ten years, initially in America, then a year in Australia

and more recently in Bristol and Watford. Qualifications include UEFA B Licence and an MA in Sport Development.

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Gabriella Wright

FIFA match agent Twitter: @glwfootball

In 2011, Gabriella graduated from Birkbeck School of Management with an MSc in the Business of Football.

From there she joined The FA and worked in a variety of roles across the organisation, including FA

learning, refereeing, marketing and grassroots development.

Recently Gabriella launched her own business as a freelance Football Consultant. She primarily operates

as a FIFA match agent, commercial director and project manager. Gabriella works with organisations and national football associations across the globe.