A figurational examination of the working lives of backroom staff in men’s professional football clubs in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Backroom staff have various important roles in supporting professional footballers and first team managers. Over time, the number of support staff in football clubs has grown, as the game has become increasingly professionalised and commodified to ensure athletes are provided the most effective support. Yet, what we know about their working lives is limited. Given the growth in academic research related to those who backroom staff support, who could not do the job without them, it is also important to explore their working lives. Therefore, this study examines the working lives of backroom staff in the first team at men’s professional football clubs in the United Kingdom. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 51 backroom staff, exploring their football background, employment within the industry, aspects of their working day and relationships with key stakeholders. The study tested a figurational sociological perspective for its adequacy to make sense of their experiences. Working in men’s professional football involved accepting challenges, such as excessive working hours, work-life imbalances, job insecurity, relocation, workplace transitions and familial sacrifices, which participants felt meant the role was more akin to a lifestyle choice. Many were motivated to work in football due to their love of the game, contributing to their perseverance through the challenges experienced. Alongside their emotional motivations, constant job insecurity and a saturated job market meant staff felt they had to accept the sacrifices until they started questioning the long-term sustainability of a career in football. The relationship with the first team manager impacted participants’ current roles and future job opportunities. Backroom staff were split into the manager’s staff, referred to as the inner circle, and club staff. The inner circle was seen as a double-edged sword, as it appeared to come with greater influence and responsibility within their roles. However, such roles came with greater job insecurity during managerial change. The inner circle represents the importance of interdependent relationships in understanding the structure and functioning of football clubs as workplaces. Backroom staff developed close, personal relationships with players. Some backroom staff offered a ‘safe-haven’ to players to speak about personal issues, who would not speak to teammates or the manager about these issues through concerns of stigmatisation and risking their place in the team. Participants explained the balance they had to strike between having personal relationships to support players and ensuring their professional position would not be compromised. This provides greater insight into relationships and workplace dynamics characterised by unequal power balances. Overall, this study has provided insight into the working lives of backroom staff and developed a greater understanding of these workplaces from the unique perspective of those perceived to be lower down the organisational hierarchy