A certain job advert this week from AFC Fylde has sparked a bit of controversy after their advert included “Don't apply if you are looking for ‘a work life balance’ or have to pick the kids up from school twice a week at 3.30.”. Interestingly, I and many people working in football were not as outraged as others. The sad fact is that to work in the professional game, this is the life you have to lead. Don’t get me wrong, working in professional football is great, but for me there comes a time when you need a life outside of football, something that isn’t always possible.
I was fortunate enough to have a job interview a couple of years ago with arguably one of the best and most historic, certainly one of the most successful, clubs in England. The role was for u18s analyst, full time, paid more than I expected, included things like a couple of season tickets for first team games (which are like gold dust if you wanted to buy one). But the thing that impressed me most? Work. Life. Balance. I didn’t even bring this subject up because I believed that it went out the window for all football jobs, however the Head of Analysis for this incredible organisation told me that occasionally they would come in 6 days a week but stressed that it was a rarity and put a real emphasis on five-day-working. Now this may seem like the basic level for some that are reading this, but in football that is unheard of. Sadly I didn’t get the job, in all honesty I was devastated. I knew I would never find a role like that again, working with some of the very best academy players in the country, now a couple of years on many of that team going to the Euros and playing Premier League football.
One thing it did do was give me perspective. Since that interview I have sat in another interview for a Premier League u23 analyst job and refused the job there and then when I was told, “there’s no doubt about it, this is a 7 day a week job between 1st July to the end of May”. Again, once I came out of that interview and drove home, I was devastated. The thing I found hardest was the thought of having a conversation with a 10-year-old version of myself and explaining that I had said no to a Premier League Club. But in the end you need to weigh it up, and I am now in a position to be picky with roles.
Since these potential roles and opportunities I have a job working in education, as well as studying for a PhD, and along the way I have done some scouting for Brentford FC on a part-time basis. Would I love to go back to football? Absolutely, one day. But it has to be right. I’ve worked as a coach, analyst and scout at first team professional level, learned a lot and had incredible success- particularly for my age. So now I will see what happens in the future, I am looking out for part time roles as this gives me the opportunity to serve the dream of 10 year olds me, and ‘have an effect on professional football’, which was always the aim. But until then I am completing my research for my PhD, interviewing academy coaches that have worked with the best players currently in European football, observing training sessions and discovering the secrets of developing players- hopefully having some of my work published along the way.
So while the job advert for AFC Fylde sounds horrific, in a way they deserve credit for honesty. Not a job for me though, and in my opinion a type of job that needs to end.
Yorumlar