Richard Dobson’s voice quivers with emotion. The Wycombe Wanderers assistant manager is recounting a conversation with two female supporters, which left an indelible mark on the 45-year-old. “One of them said to me, ‘I’ve fallen in love with this club’”, he recalls. “She said she was in a difficult relationship at the time and was … Continue reading Exclusive interview: Gareth Ainsworth and Richard Dobson on Wycombe’s ‘cultural architects’, psychology and bringing the Haka to Adams Park
Category: Interviews
How the ‘biggest psychology programme in Europe’ helped Wycombe make history
Anthony Stewart’s header hits the back of the net. He peels away to celebrate, his teammates in close attendance. They all know the importance of the goal, which will set the club on course for promotion to the Championship. For the first time in its 133-year history, Wycombe will be playing in the second tier … Continue reading How the ‘biggest psychology programme in Europe’ helped Wycombe make history
“Hazard broke the charts”: inside Chelsea’s ‘psychological coding’ project
‘They’re passing the ball with real confidence: you can just see how focused they are today’. It’s a line that could be taken from almost any commentator or pundit. It’s also a statement which fans across the world would recognise. We know when our team’s players are motivated. Or do we? It’s a question that … Continue reading “Hazard broke the charts”: inside Chelsea’s ‘psychological coding’ project
‘For 30 years, we survived by bringing through talent’: where is Tranmere’s next group of homegrown stars?
“Aaron Cresswell crosses for Dale Jennings to slot home!” The quote is fictitious, but as Tranmere prepare for another season in League Two, the club’s fans could be forgiven for wondering how their former left-wing partnership might have influenced the team's recent fortunes. Cresswell and Jennings are part of a distinguished line of graduates, including … Continue reading ‘For 30 years, we survived by bringing through talent’: where is Tranmere’s next group of homegrown stars?
Meet the psychologist preparing Dinamo Zagreb to face Bale and Kane
For any Dinamo Zagreb defenders watching Tottenham’s 4-1 win over Crystal Palace on Sunday evening, the prospect of facing Gareth Bale and Harry Kane in tonight’s Europa League round of 16 first leg might not have seemed particularly appealing. Despite Dinamo’s excellent run in this season’s competition – the Croatian side have yet to taste … Continue reading Meet the psychologist preparing Dinamo Zagreb to face Bale and Kane
‘We need to bottle the energy and apply it’: Mike Calvin on football’s stand against the Super League
If a week is a long time in politics, the same is true for football. Since Sunday evening, the sport has breathlessly lurched from chaos to confusion, before finding a home somewhere between hope and (as far as the Super League is concerned) humiliation. There aren't many people better placed to make sense of the … Continue reading ‘We need to bottle the energy and apply it’: Mike Calvin on football’s stand against the Super League
Turf Moor Tubthumper
“It’s nice not to be talking about throwing water over John Prescott.” Boff Whalley’s tone is warm. The ex-Chumbawamba lead guitarist is referring to the well-worn story of how his former band greeted the then deputy Prime Minister at the 1998 Brit Awards, with drummer Danbert Nobacon throwing a bucket of ice-cold water over Prescott. … Continue reading Turf Moor Tubthumper
‘We’re determined not to play a cameo role’: Franco Varrella on coaching San Marino, his side’s approach against England and changing a team’s mentality
Finding a preview of England vs San Marino which doesn’t mention Davide Gualtieri is a tough task. The former Sammarinese striker scored after 8.3 seconds of the 1993 World Cup qualifier between the two teams. The goal stood as the fastest in the history of the competition for over 22 years. In the run-up to … Continue reading ‘We’re determined not to play a cameo role’: Franco Varrella on coaching San Marino, his side’s approach against England and changing a team’s mentality
Lisa Fallon: ‘We have the opportunity to influence change’
It’s becoming something of a cliche to say that we’re living in ‘unprecedented times’. However, English football is arguably facing its biggest crisis in a generation. The stark reality of financial pressure and the continued absence of fans is biting hard. Fortunately, Lisa Fallon is well-versed in dealing with challenging situations. The London City Lionesses … Continue reading Lisa Fallon: ‘We have the opportunity to influence change’
Peter Varney on Charlton, the salary cap and fit and proper owners
It’s the time of year when photos of footballers lying on sun-kissed Balearic beaches are ten a penny. But away from the holiday snaps dominating Instagram, there’s an altogether different picture of life as a professional footballer. It’s a reality that Peter Varney is familiar with. The former Charlton chief executive, who oversaw eight seasons … Continue reading Peter Varney on Charlton, the salary cap and fit and proper owners
Interview: Mike Calvin
We're back! In the latest episode of the Beat The Press podcast, we speak to award-winning journalist and author, Mike Calvin. Mike talks to us about leadership in sport, drawing on his experience of co-writing Gareth Thomas's and Alistair Cook's autobiographies. He also gives us a rare glimpse of the realities of football management, recounting … Continue reading Interview: Mike Calvin
Interview: Leo Pearlman (Sunderland ‘Til I Die exec producer)
In the latest episode of the Beat The Press podcast, we speak to Leo Pearlman, executive producer of Sunderland 'Til I Die. Join us for a discussion that starts with Leo's time on the Roker Park terraces, supporting the club he would go on to make a documentary about. We look at the driving factors … Continue reading Interview: Leo Pearlman (Sunderland ‘Til I Die exec producer)
Interview: Dr Misia Gervis
In this episode of the Beat The Press podcast, we speak to Dr Misia Gervis, leading sports psychologist and academic. Join us for a fascinating discussion about her time working for the England women's team and the role she has played in supporting academies at Wycombe Wanderers and QPR. We look at how clubs are … Continue reading Interview: Dr Misia Gervis
Interview: Jonathan Wilson
In the second episode of ‘Beat The Press’ podcast, we speak to journalist Jonathan Wilson, author of the award-winning book 'Inverting The Pyramid' and founder of football quarterly 'The Blizzard'. Join us for a discussion about his latest venture, 'The Squall', a bitesize version of 'The Blizzard' that's also aiming to help freelancers struggling in … Continue reading Interview: Jonathan Wilson
Interview: The Football History Boys
In the first episode of the Beat The Press podcast, we speak to Ben Jones and Gareth Thomas, founders of ‘The Football History Boys’ website and authors of ‘Football’s Fifty Most Important Moments’. Join us for a discussion about the parallels between the modern-day reaction to football’s suspension and the response in 1914 and 1939. … Continue reading Interview: The Football History Boys
