Working as a football data analyst
Football data analysis isn't just about breaking down on-field statistics like possession, shots on target and expected goals (xG). It involves taking large amounts of information from both on and off the pitch that can help a club make better-informed decisions. But it's all in a day's work for Grace.
She works as a senior data analyst at Derby County Football Club. Her role involves taking data from various sources to give insights in ways that are easy for others to understand and use.
Grace:
I've always loved data and I've always loved football, so to find a job that combined the dataand the football together made this the perfect career for me.
My name's Grace, and I'm a senior data analyst here at Derby County Football Club.
My job involves taking data from a variety of different sources, including performance and ticketing in commercial, and then transforming and visualising the data to present to key stakeholders and help them make decisions.
Growing up, I was always interested in football.
I didn't used to come to games regularly or anything like that, but it was always something I did have an interest in.It wasn't until I started coming with my dad that I really got into it. We come to every home game together. We go to the away games together. It really spurred my passion on.
I think the more that I came to games, the more I started to think about the background of football as well, so the data side of it. And as I became more into maths, I really started to get an interest in how the data and the numbers almost behind the games could really influence the decision-making on and off-field as well. So it all sort of flowed quite nicely into my career when I started.
As a data analyst, my job from start to finish is collecting data from sources, cleaning it, transforming it, and then putting it into dashboards and visualising data that way.
A couple of examples would be for our performance coaches, we use a system called VALD for their strength testing, and we use a system called Catapult, which are the GPS and the strength systems that the players use.
It'd be our commercial and ticketing data, so taking that out of our ticketing system.
So every sale that goes through over the phone, over the counter, and online.
I think some of the key skills that you need in this job is definitely not just doing maths and data all day.
You need the communication skills. It's really important to listen to what people want. So the request from a coach and what they would want to see would be very different from someone in commercial.
Player:
Yes!
Grace:
Coaches don't want to see a load of bar charts and pie charts and numbers.
They want to see something visual that's striking.
The role of data analyst definitely started with my love of maths, even from a young age.
My first-ever job was working for the club in the ticket office part-time.
I then stayed there whilst I finished my GCSEs, stayed there while I did my college AS levels and A-levels, so working part-time.
So for my A-levels, I did maths, geography, and chemistry, but I actually failed
my first year of maths, so I had to resit.
So I think it's really important to not be disheartened by any sort of setbacks that you might have.
But it's also important to know that just because I did a maths degree and I've come into this industry doesn't mean that you have to have a maths degree.
When I first started at the club, I was actually quite shy because I was only 16-years-old, and it was my first job.
So the importance of networking, not only with people at the club but just with customers and supporters as well, was really important to me.
It also meant that it set me up for when I did move into the data department, that I had a better understanding of what departments might want from a data perspective.
One of our first team video analysts came to me and said that the manager had a theory about the way a team played, but he wanted the numbers to back his theory.
To be able to do a piece on how this team played, it was specifically about how they were defended against and what output that had on their expected goals.
That was really interesting, and to be able to actually get the data to back up his theories was really satisfying, and it meant that actually, we went into that game and we defended really aggressively, and we actually won.
I'm really grateful for the opportunities I've had in my career, and I really love and enjoy working in the football industry.
To find out what other careers you could have in football, explore the BBC Bitesize Follow Your Passion collection.
To be able to get the data was really satisfying…we defended aggressively and actually won!
Grace's career pathway
- Growing up she was always interested in football
- Started going to games with her dad and thinking about the data side of the game
- Worked part-time in Derby County's ticket office when she turned 16
- Studied A-levels in Maths, Chemistry and Geography. She failed her first year of A-level Maths but resat and passed
- Studied for a Maths degree at university, while continuing to work for the club
- Joined Derby County full time as a Data Analyst, progressing to Senior Data Analyst.
What's career progression like in data analysis?
Grace's career has followed this path:
Part-time ticket office assistant --> data analyst --> senior data analyst
However, this is not the only route or the only field where this job is needed. You can use data analysis skills to work in a lot of different areas, such as healthcare, finance, environment, and e-commerce. The gov.uk careers site advises that, from a role as a data analyst, you could: "become a senior or lead data analyst, or data team manager; work as a freelance consultant; move into teaching and academic research; become a data scientist, developing artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help businesses overcome challenges and be more efficient."
Grace's top tips for getting into data analysis
- Learn the core tools: Get to grips with the software that is used across the industry, such as Excel and data visualisation platforms like Tableau or Power BI
- Communication is key: Get really good at communication skills – understand the questions being asked and communicate those insights clearly to help people make better decisions
- Improve knowledge: Developing your technical and industry knowledge will help you stand out. Don’t be too disheartened if something doesn’t work out, it is a job that constantly evolves.
How much can you earn as a data analyst?
In Grace's experience, the salary for a data analyst can range from £22,000 – £28,000 when you first start to £48,000 – £60,000 once you get more experienced. Grace says: "I'm really grateful for the opportunities I've had in my career and I really love and enjoy working in the football industry."
Grace is a senior data analyst, but there are many other jobs for people who enjoy maths. Find out more about the role of data analyst-statistician.
- Data analyst-statistician average salary: from £28,000 to £65,000 per year.
- Data analyst-statistician typical working hours: 37 to 40 hours per week.
What qualifications do you need to be a data analyst-statistician?
You could get into this role via a university course, a college course, an apprenticeship or a graduate training scheme. You'll usually need a degree or postgraduate qualification in statistics, mathematics, economics, operational research or psychology, but may be able to apply for jobs if you hold a degree in a different subject that included statistics as part of your course. You may be able to start a junior position after completing a relevant college course, or apply for an apprenticeship to get a trainee position.
This information is a guide and is constantly changing. Please check the National Careers Service website for the latest information and all the qualifications needed.
For careers advice in all parts of the UK visit: Get careers information and advice (England), nidirect (Northern Ireland), My World of Work (Scotland) and Careers Wales (Wales).
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