February 14, 2021
Former West Ham and Southampton player care specialist, Hugo Scheckter, joins us to talk about the social media abuse he's seen Premier League stars suffer, how he supported West Ham's first-team squad during COVID and the future of the player care profession.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - remembering Steffen Iversen (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Hugo Scheckter (03:41)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Hugo Scheckter (58:49)
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January 30, 2021
Trabzonspor's Head of Sports Science, Malcolm Harkness, joins us to discuss his time in Turkey and the 'psychological coding' project he helped run in his previous role at Chelsea.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - dressing room songs, from Adele to Apache (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Malcolm Harkness (04:35)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Malcolm Harkness (51:26)
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![#14 Dr Bruno Demichelis (Part 2)]()
January 23, 2021
Former AC Milan and Chelsea psychologist, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by for the second half of a two-part episode, looking at his time at Stamford Bridge.
Bruno talks to us about the sports science and cognitive support he provided for Carlo Ancelotti's double-winning squad.
Drawing on stories involving a host of Chelsea stars, from John Terry and Didier Drogba to Petr Cech and Frank Lampard, Bruno gives us the inside track on the most successful season in the club's history.
This is the second half of a two-part episode. Part 1 - covering Bruno's spell at AC Milan, where he set up 'The Mind Room', Italian football's first psychology laboratory - is available on the Beat The Press podcast feed.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - from Clarence Seedorf to John Terry (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Dr Bruno Demichelis (04:16)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Dr Bruno Demichelis (48:23)
Get in touch:
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![#13 Dr Bruno Demichelis (Part 1)]()
December 31, 2020
AC Milan's former Scientific Coordinator, Dr Bruno Demichelis, drops by to discuss the 'Mind Room', Italian football's first psychology laboratory.
Bruno talks to us about the role the 'Mind Room' played in Milan's success during the 80s, 90s and early 2000s.
Drawing on stories involving a host of Milan legends, from Franco Baresi and Roberto Baggio to Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso, Bruno gives us the inside track on Milan's pioneering sports science and psychology setup.
This is the first half of a two-part episode. Part 2 - covering Bruno's spell at Chelsea, working alongside Carlo Ancelotti during the London club's 09-10 double-winning season, will be released shortly.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - swapping Spurs in the 90s for Paolo Rossi (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Dr Bruno Demichelis (04:50)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Dr Bruno Demichelis (68:33)
Get in touch:
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![#12 Simon Clifford]()
November 28, 2020
Southampton's former Head of Sports Science and the man credited with introducing futsal to the UK, Simon Clifford, stops by for a fascinating discussion about the psychological characteristics of the 'perfect footballer'.
Simon talks to us about the players he's worked with, including Juninho, Gareth Bale and Micah Richards, who display some of the mental attributes you might expect to find in the 'player of tomorrow'.
He also explains what it was like to manage Socrates, during his spell at Garforth Town, and tells us about his latest venture, Integer Football.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - Socrates' spell at Garforth Town (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Simon Clifford (04:06)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Simon Clifford (48:30)
Get in touch:
Website: https://beatthepress.net/
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Newsletter: https://beatthepress.net/2020/10/11/sign-up-to-the-beat-the-press-newsletter/
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October 16, 2020
Nick Littlehales, aka 'The Sport Sleep Coach', drops by for a discussion about the impact of sleep on players' performance.
We talk about Nick's career, spanning spells with Manchester United, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and England, discuss the role that sleep coaching can play in improving performance and look at the effect of COVID-19 on fatigue in football.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - sleeping through the international break (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Nick Littlehales (05:28)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Nick Littlehales (48:40)
Get in touch:
Website: https://beatthepress.net/
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October 3, 2020
Renowned academic Professor Marc Jones joins us for a discussion about the impact of stress on performance, as we continue to look at how footballers, coaches and the people around them respond to pressure.
We talk about Marc's work with academy players, the potentially positive role that fear of failure can play in motivating athletes, the impact of the absence of crowds on performance, how players respond to ‘in game’ setbacks and psychology’s evolving role within football.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - fever pitch in Fantasy Football (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Professor Marc Jones (03:25)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Professor Marc Jones (46:43)
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![#9 Lisa Fallon]()
September 26, 2020
London City Lionesses manager Lisa Fallon drops by to talk about the role of leadership in football.
Drawing on her experience of being the first woman to manage a men's football team in Ireland and her spell as part of the Northern Ireland backroom team during Euro 2016, Lisa talks to us about handling pressure at different levels of the game.
She also discusses the support needed for players recovering from injury, helping her squad through COVID and mentoring the next generation of football coaches.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - rewinding to 2013, with Bale, Rodriguez and Holtby (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Lisa Fallon (02:55)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Lisa Fallon (20:45)
Get in touch:
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![#8 Peter Varney]()
August 22, 2020
Former Charlton chief executive Peter Varney stops by for a chat on the latest episode of the Beat The Press podcast.
We talk about the pressure facing clubs and players during the summer transfer window and the possible impact of the salary cap on teams in League One and League Two.
Pete also tells us about the secrets behind his success during his two stints at The Valley and speaks about about the changes he'd make to scrutinise potential football club owners more effectively.
Finally, we discuss possible Parliamentary intervention in football and hear Pete's view on the ongoing takeover talk surrounding Charlton.
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - the Moss Rose players bar and summary of the EFL salary cap (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Peter Varney (04:00)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Peter Varney (41:58)
Get in touch:
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![#7 Richard Dobson]()
August 14, 2020
In the latest episode of the Beat The Press podcast, we speak to Wycombe assistant manager, Richard Dobson.
We discuss the club's pioneering psychology programme, established by Richard and responsible for helping to support players such as Jordan Ibe and Anthony Stewart.
In Richard's first in-depth interview on the subject, he reveals the secrets behind what was described as the 'biggest psychology programme in Europe'.
He also talks to us about the club's promotion to the second tier of English football, for the first time in its 133-year history, and his hopes for 2020/21 season.
Finally, you can check out the two Gareth Ainsworth stunners we mention in the episode, by taking a quick trip to Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miNDVuRjS-U
Running order:
Part 1: Introduction - pub bands and a Wycombe love-in (00:14)
Part 2: Interview - a discussion with Richard Dobson (03:13)
Part 3: Final thoughts - reflections on our interview with Richard Dobson (31:13)
Get in touch:
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