1. Ian you began your football career as a keeper at QPR, can you explain to us all about  your career.

(A) I started at QPR and stayed there for a couple of years then went to Arsenal for four years.

 

2. You have spent a period of your football career as a coach at several non league football clubs, coaching outfield players as well as keepers. Can you give us an insight into life as a non league football coach?

(A) Its very different to being involved with professional clubs. So may things need to be taken into consideration, work schedule, home life as some keepers are part time although you treat them like professionals they sometimes cant always make training. It’s about your own personal standards as a coach, if you set your standards high then you expect players to take on your professionalism. Sometimes relying on them to do training off the site on skills you give them. In non league you learn to trust each other.

 

3. Since SGA started 18 months ago you have been a pivotal part of the development of the blossoming professional goalkeeping academy. How are you finding working for SGA?

(A) I was involved right from the start at the foundation stage before SGA started. I find SGA a massive part of my life, one of the few things which still excite me in life. I genuinely look forward to each coaching session. SGA and the way we work towards Goalkeepers on our courses. We are going in the right direction and with the professional effect behind us makes my job much more easier. Working for SGA is forward thinking and enthusiasm coming from Amanda and Andy always gives me a buzz to go to work.

 

4. You currently run two main centres for SGA at Coventry and Rugby. The Course at Rugby also runs an elite session where you have five current keepers that now play for Aston Villa at various age groups as well as two females playing for Coventry City and England 15’s. This must be very pleasing for you to see the hard work you are doing paying off?

(A) It’s what we are in the job for. Any Coach who comes in for their own means are not doing job at SGA for keepers. Our main aim for us as Coaches is the Goalkeepers. The job as a Coach is to get the Goalkeeper to the highest standard we can, and of course i am very pleased that the hard work i have put into the keepers is paying off. We have to thanks the parents for putting their time and effort in with their Goalkeepers. The two females who have gone onto Coventry and England are not treated like girls they get treated as Goalkeepers and work hard just like everyone else.

 

5. What is it like working for Andy Marshall?

(A) I have known Andy since he was 19, I watched him play Norwich Reserves. Working for Andy is an honour, he has done what I never got to do. Andy’s main aim is to train Goalkeepers, not all to do with money. I have watched Andy and have seen how hard he works at SGA. Working for Andy makes me really happy and makes me really pleased when I get respect from a professional Goalkeeper. Andy couldn’t have shown me any more respect by making me Technical Director of SGA,  it was a great honour. Andy still trains as hard as he ever did which shows that the work we are doing through the centres at SGA are a replica of how the professionals train.

 

6. How do you manage to Coach up to 16 Keepers at once?

(A) I break the Keepers into groups. Working with them and along side them. I get the Goalkeepers to work with each other serving and doing the coaching drills. I teach Keepers to serve from a very early age so they know how to serve once they start training. Ratio is one Coach to 16 Keepers for us at SGA. This may sound alot but once you see how we work you will quickly realise how simple the ratio is.

 

7. How many times a week should you train?

(A) Two to three times a week as a minimum. Goalkeeping works on all different aspects not on one particular part of the game but more to Goalkeeping than saves i.e. fitness, handling, footwork, understanding the game, staying supple, stretches’. Most important is trying to understand why your not making the saves, Goalkeeping isn’t as easy as people think. If you can understand the reason why you are making a mistake and are able to rectify this, you will quickly become a better keeper.

 

8. Are all SGA’s Academies outside?

(A) They are all outside, this makes them more realistic to what we are trying to achieve, most Goalkeepers train outside so we continue this.

 

9. Best bit about working for SGA?

(A) Best bit is achieving my goals, seeing a child come in at a basic level and then within a short period of time turning them into a Goalkeeper. Having children smile at training is great to see.

 

10. Amanda says you can’t use a computer is this true?

(A) No I like Amanda to feel she is important hence giving her all my work to do!

 

11. Do you have training sheets you use in your sessions?

(A) Yes I put them together from my experience of what I do in training i.e. structured warm up sheet, training schedules. Anybody who asks me for these on my Academy I give them to.

 

12. Do you have any diet/eating programs Keepers follow?

(A) Yes again for my Goalkeepers, not actual diet sheets but how to lose weight for performance level in Goalkeeping only.

 

13. What makes you different to other Goalkeeping Academies?

(A) Our Academy is run by a Professional Goalkeeper with Professional Coaches training Goalkeepers to become the best they can be. We run a 40 week course split into 10 weeks at a time. Our Academy isnt just your every weekend  kick around, its structured training. We get to know keepers inside and out  so we can then work on their weak areas to make them stronger. We want keepers to be scouted by Football Clubs, we stand proud as a Company when we see our keepers further their Footballing Careers as so many have done.

 

14 What boots should be worn for different pitches?

(A) 3G Pitches – short moulds or short blades.

(A) Astro Turf – Astro turf trainers

 

15. Favourite Football Team?

(A) West Ham United

 

16. Favourite Goalkeeper?

(A) Andy Marshall ha ha

(A) All time favourite Pat Jennings, Peter Schmeichel

 

17. What music to you like listening to?

(A) Marvin Gay, anything Soul, Soulful Jazz.

 

18. Ian finally SGA continues to grow from strength to strength, what is it the future for you and the future of SGA?

(A) My main aim at Sells is to become a Coach who can Coach Coaches to have ability to work for Sells. I Still feel i couldn’t give up coaching kids as i would like to have elite centres like Rugby all over country. I feel I have earnt Andy Marshall’s trust in what I do and this pleases me.

 

Ian thank you for speaking to SGA and giving us an insight into you and your centres and what it is like to work for SGA. 

Happy Christmas.

 

 

 

Many thanks Ian for this Interview.