How US approach rubbed off on Big Sam

[Scottish Mag 3]

Never before at Newcastle United has the backroom team attracted so much attention.

 

But with new manager Sam Allardyce keen to get the very best out of his new squad at St James' Park, it appears the Magpies are about to step into a whole new space-age era when it comes to off-pitch techniques.

 

In years gone by what went on in the dug-out has been very much secondary to what happens on the field and the days of fans in the old Milburn paddock knocking on the back of Ossie Ardiles' dug-out to encourage substitutions now seem light years away.

 

At Bolton, Allardyce's backroom team grew from five to 28 covering coaching, medicine, sports science, performance analysis and administrative support between 1999 and 2007.

 

Allardyce is expected to bring with him to Newcastle a head of sport science and medicine and a strength and conditioning coach for starters.

 

His two main men in that field at Wanderers were Hartlepool-born Mark Taylor and Mark Howard as well as performance director Mike Forde - all of whom have been tipped to rejoin Allardyce at St James'.

 

Allardyce's big interest in performance and fitness analysis is already well documented in the football world but it all stems from his days playing in the United States.

 

In 1983 the former defender had a stint with Tampa Bay Rowdies, who were former members of the now defunct North American Soccer League.

 

Allardyce was fascinated by the off-field scientific approach to football and has already underlined how he intends to implement an injury-prevention scheme at St James' Park.

 

His ideas echo that of professional sports teams in the NFL, the NBA and the NHL in the US, with most clubs having a vast array of staff in the background supporting their playing rosters and squeezing every last piece of potential from their stars.

 

That news will be music to the ears of Toon fans who have continually seen their heroes miss week after week of Premiership action.

 

His theory is simple. Instead of having a player who, for example, is earning £50,000 a week sitting in the stands injured, it is better to employ a specialist working alongside him who earns, say, £40,000 per annum to keep prevent such injuries.

 

The longer that player spends off the pitch and on the sidelines, the more money is wasted. Therefore the salary of a performance or fitness analyst becomes a drop in the ocean in the big picture.

 

It is something that isn't uncommon across the Atlantic.

 

Toon chairman Freddy Shepherd has already stated that if the team from the Reebok Stadium can afford a 28-strong backroom staff, then so can Newcastle United.

 

In the US NFL it is common to have around 20-25 backroom staff to support the players meaning each individual player can get extra support if they need it.

 

Former Newcastle player Robbie Elliott, who played under Big Sam at Bolton, has already hailed the ideas of Allardyce, while his ex-Wallsend Boys' Club colleague Lee Clark says he is looking forward to some exciting new ideas at Gallowgate.

 

Elliott said: "It is great to know that if you have a specific problem there is somebody around to solve it."

 

The three wise men who Big Sam could turn to...

 

 

Mark Taylor

Head of Sport Science and Medicine

 

Currently Head of Sport Science at Bolton, Taylor hails from Hartlepool.

 

The 42-year-old played for Pools at the beginning of his professional career and has already worked for Blackburn, Crewe and Blackpool in a medical capacity.

 

Taylor arrived at Bolton early in the Big Sam era and quickly become one of Allardyce's main men amongst his 28 strong backroom staff.

 

Allardyce could well see Taylor as one of the main figures on Tyneside to finally rid the club of the extensive injury problems that dogged both Graeme Souness and Glenn Roeder, ultimately costing them their jobs.

 

 

Mike Forde

Performance Director

 

The 31-year-old is Wanderers' performance director and is another who Allardyce was keen to bring on board.

 

Forde's job basically involves a continual journey around the globe for innovations that may improve the football club.

 

But that doesn't extend only to football clubs or sports teams.

 

Forde has thrown his search for knowledge wide open and even visited Saatchi and Saatchi, the advertising agency in New York, to pick up new strategies to stay ahead of the game!

 

No matter what business Forde visits, his main aim is to sound them out on inside secrets from everything from scouting, psychology to people-management.

 

His travels have also included visits to dozens of NFL and NBA teams in the US to investigate their infrastructure.

 

When Allardyce arrived at Bolton the club he inherited a team with a out-of-date training ground and an average Championship side. By the end of his reign teams like the LA Lakers were visiting the Reebok Stadium to see what the secret of their success was, with some of that pulling power masterminded by Forde.

 

 

Mark Howard

Strength and Conditioning Coach

 

He joined the club in 2000-2001 as the club aimed to look into their medical approach to sports injuries and fitness techniques.

 

He works closely with players in overseeing the regular season workout programmes, pre-game warm-ups, post-match warm-downs and generally getting players in peak playing condition throughout the season.

 

Prozone: The technology Sam puts so much faith in

 

At the Reebok Stadium, Big Sam's special IT suite allowed him to call up passages of play on request in the dressing room at half time.

 

He could replay those incidents during the interval and use the 15 minutes break as a chance to exploit the opposition while they are in the opposite dressing room sucking oranges.

 

Prozone offers on-pitch analysis and England boss Steve McClaren is also a fan of the system.

 

Bolton were one of the first teams in the Premiership to adopt the player-tracking service which offers detailed data of every move, kick or spit that happens during a game.

 

Bolton performance guru Forde says: "Any club can have ProZone but some use it better than others.

 

"We have a fantastically talented analysis team who, on matchday, are wired up and give constant feedback.

 

"The future of sport is real-time science."

[Gejon 2]

Just goes to show how shit Allardyce is if he has to employ all these people to do his job for him [/sSH]

[Papa Lazaru 0]

Just goes to show how shit Allardyce is if he has to employ all these people to do his job for him [/sSH]

 

 

Sack him now i reckon!

 

I hope he very quickly goes and raids Bolton for the main blokes mentioned on here, the sooner we have them established and working at our club the better.

[Craig 6321]

Did anyone watch the rugby documentary on England's World Cup win in 2003??

 

Woodward had more backroom staff than people on the pitch and it was all with American influence. And of course, it worked.

[Papa Lazaru 0]

Did anyone watch the rugby documentary on England's World Cup win in 2003??

 

Woodward had more backroom staff than people on the pitch and it was all with American influence. And of course, it worked.

 

Woodward was like that from day one. When he took the job he told the RFU they had to do everything his way, give him everything he wanted and he'd get them the world cup, grand slam et al. Took him time to build it up, like Big Sam, but his team were so well prepared, super fit, getting the very best out of all the squad and as we know went on to win everything.

 

One of my main problems with NUFC has always been the piss poor shambles we have become, so unproffesional, so lacking in any ideas, organisation and havign clueless and unqualified people in charge of our players welfar and coaching. We now look like we have people who will change all that and i'm delighted.

Edited May 28, 2007 by Papa Lazaru

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

Did anyone watch the rugby documentary on England's World Cup win in 2003??

 

Woodward had more backroom staff than people on the pitch and it was all with American influence. And of course, it worked.

Yep, he even took a dentist and an optometrist specialising in sports vision with him. It's about covering as many bases as possible.

 

I had the argument about the example set my the major american sports with SSH but he dismissed it

[2bias 3]

i think its great if there is a big backroom staff more input an more info which the manager needs

[Fop 1]

Did anyone watch the rugby documentary on England's World Cup win in 2003??

 

Woodward had more backroom staff than people on the pitch and it was all with American influence. And of course, it worked.

 

That's true, but he did have a few Glen Hoddle moments as well, but most of his stuff was pretty good.

 

 

But it's bizarre how few staff many Premiership sides seem to have on the football side (probably have 100's in their marketing depts).