THE GROWTH OF BACKROOM STAFF IN FOOTBALL

How the role of the ‘Backroom Staff’ has shaped modern football and its significance in defining managerial and club success

Once upon a football pitch of a time, when the game was watched in black and white, there was no Video-Assistant-Referee, no offside rule, no goal-line technology. A time when referees gave out yellow cards for red-card worthy challenges the game of football was very different. Down in Liverpool, Manchester United or West Ham’s dugout the “Backroom-Staff” consisted of the manager, his assistant and perhaps a physio with prestigious clubs taking advantage of their net worth to expand their backroom staff and training facilities to ensure domination in their respective leagues and the footballing world on a global scale for the foreseeable future. A clear example of the rapid expansion of football’s backroom staff can be seen through the experience of renowned Arsenal and England physiotherapist Gary Lewin. When Lewin joined Arsenal in 1986, during the managerial reign of George Graham, the full-time staff was minimal—comprising only the manager, assistant manager, kit man and Lewin himself as physiotherapist… After departing Arsenal in 2008, the “the club’s staff had grown substantially, including two physiotherapists, a doctor, two masseurs, a fitness coach, an osteopath, a travel and equipment manager and two kit men, since then, this has increased further with an extra coach, three more fitness coaches, two additional physiotherapists, an extra masseur, a nutritionist, two data analysts and a player liaison officer just to name a few. Today, the perception of modern football has transformed, the once anonymous backroom staff’ are now very well perceived by fans. The notion of winning football matches, silverware and overall domination in the sport is not just down to the eleven players on the team pitch, nor just the managers influence through his tactics and philosophy: backroom staff are now instrumental to all of this. As well as the managerial strategy, player welfare and long term success of a club.

Origins of Football’s ‘Behind-The-Scenes’ Heroes:

An instance of the impact of backroom staff is  Nottingham Forest under Brian Clough who revolutionised the club, turning them into one of Europe’s elite clubs at the  time, winning the English First Division and back-to-back European Cups. According to current manager of Nottingham Forest, Sean Dyche (who rose through the Forest youth system in the 1980s) Clough was an icon at the club.  Someone so special, that his aura, as well as his revolutionary ideas and philosophy were regarded as extraordinary, something that “Nobody could replicate – he was such a one-off,” Sean Dyche adds that Brian Clough instilled a “Forest Way” of conducting things at the Club and this involved simple etiquette and mannerisms that everyone associated with Nottingham Forest adhered to; “treating people the right way, and giving opposing teams and fans the utmost respect”. Brian Clough’s Forest era and his influential empire that inspired his players and staff was a success story from one of Nottingham Forest’s own, an authentic example of inspiring youth, the future, the visionary for his Nottingham Forest team to continue its glowing success; emphasises the significance of Forest’s ‘Backroom Staff’, modesty in its scale led to revolutionary outcomes, inspiring football clubs in England and across the world to replicate. Brian Clough’s “Forest Way” demonstrated that the size of the club simply cannot define influence alone, but a group of dedicated and determined individuals can revolutionise and transform a club when simple principles are visible and respected mutually by trusting those around you.

Furthermore, a report by Premier League club Crystal Palace back in September 2021 reinforces this notion that a ‘a club can be revolutionised and transformed by a group of committed and driven individuals’ similar to the instilled ‘Forest Way’ by Brian Clough in the 1980s; therefore making this argument undoubtedly credible to the understanding on the influence of Backroom Staff in Football. 

Ben Stevens, who was head of Analysis at Crystal Palace at the time of his account into the role Backroom Staff played in preparing the team for its fixtures, revealed that “It’s developed particularly fast at Palace over the last four years, since Sporting Director Dougie Freedman changed Ben’s role from a first-team analyst to pulling a recruitment and analysis department together under one umbrella… Freedman’s aim being to enlarge and solidify the analysis structure, Ben has grown the team so that today the club has two first-team analysts, two recruitment analysts, two data analysts and Ben, who leads the first-team and recruitment roles. The Academy has its own separate pool of staff.” Crystal Palace’s recent success—from lifting their first FA Cup and Community Shield to making a promising debut in the UEFA Conference League—reflects more than just talent on the pitch. Under Oliver Glasner, the club’s rise is rooted in a stronger, smarter backroom structure first developed under Dougie Freedman. Furthermore, looking over the past four years at Crystal Palace Football Club, their analysis department has expanded from a single analyst to a coordinated team that cover Palace’s team preparations including its performance using statistical data. Therefore, this is undoubtedly a transformation that mirrors how Premier League clubs are evolving to exceed the demands of the modern game. Crystal Palace’s deliberate move to “enlarge and solidify” its analysis setup highlights how a mid-table team once upon a time, seen as relegation-battlers, now operate with the strategic depth of Europe’s elite, highlighting the importance of investment in efficient and effective ‘Backroom Staff’ to redefine and rewrite the history and the image of the club into a visionary world of Football’s elites. 

Full Time:  

“The End… and How much might that matter” to quote the words of Peter Drury; a concluding thought for myself and for footballing fans is the understanding of how important of a role ‘Backroom Staff’ plays in every top club in the world.