I am currently the Associate Head of School: Sport and an Associate Professor in the Sociology of Sport and Sports Coaching. I am also the Learning and Teaching Lead in the School of Science, Technology and Health.
I graduated from York St John University with a first class degree in (BA) Physical Education and Sports Coaching and completed an MSc and PhD in the Sociology of Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Chester. My PhD was titled 'A sociological analysis of the monetisation of social relations within the working lives of professional footballers'. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Authority (SFHEA).
Prior to working in Higher Education, I was a professional footballer for 12 years, playing in England and Scotland and also worked as a first team and youth team coach in professional football.
I teach on the Sport and Exercise Science and Physical Education and Sports Coaching courses. I deliver on Sociology based modules and Physical education based modules at levels 4,5 and 6.
I am extremely passionate about teaching. I am involved in several modules across the BSc Sport and Exercise Science and BSc Physical Education and Sports Coaching courses. I also contribute to some of the shared modules on our programmes such as Research Methods and the Research paper.
Much of my research has been conducted on the working lives of professional sports people from a sociological perspective. The main focus of this has been, the mental health and wellbeing of professional footballers, gambling in professional football, Identity creation in professional sport and transitions through and out of professional sport. I am currently working on a Movember funded project called Performance Habits, which is a mental fitness programme designed for elite footballers. I am co-founder and director of the research group, Tackling Welfare in Sport Together.
I have supervised or am currently supervising PhD and Masters by Research researchers in the following areas:
- ‘No footballer wants to admit it’s coming to an end’: A sociological exploration of male professional footballers’ transition into retirement.
- A figurational examination of the working lives of backroom staff in men’s professional football clubs in the United Kingdom.
- Supporting Adolescent Footballers' Mental Health and Wellbeing During Transitions to Senior Environments.
- Application of Head-related Policies in Boys’ Professional Football Academy: A Figurational Analysis.
- The provision of Outdoor Adventurous Activities in Secondary Physical Education in North Yorkshire: a critical case study.
- A sociological perspective of Young Male Academy Footballers’ and their experiences of pain and injury.
- A sociological examination of sports coaches’ perceptions of their role in supporting participants’ mental health and an evaluation of the Mental Health First Aid training course.
Recent publications
I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) and external examiner at Edge Hill University. I have also acted as an external panel member for the validation of degree courses at Southampton Solent University and University of Middlesex.
As an ex-footballer, I am a member of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and as a coach, I am a member of the Football Association (FA), The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) and Badminton England.
As a players I was also capped at the international level when playing for Scotland in the European Under 19 Championships and Scotland Under 21s. During my time at the University, I represented Great Britain in the World University Games in Shenzhen, China, winning a Silver medal. I have also coached at English professional football clubs at youth and first team levels. Prior to coaching at professional clubs, I was the Assistant Head Coach at the La Manga Football Academy, in Spain.
I currently run education programmes on player identity and gambling with several professional football clubs across the country. Within these sessions I work with Academy players, aged from 12-21, Coaches and parents discussing the role football can play in identity creation and the impact this can have on the well-being of players. I have also recently presented my research at the UEFA headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, to the UEFA for players academy.
