Sports Management student on target for future success

Matthew was also keen to encourage other students to get experience while at university
Matthew was also keen to encourage other students to get experience while at university

A GCU student has landed a job with a semi-professional football team - giving him the opportunity to gain some experience before heading into the world of work.

Fourth year Sports Management student, Matthew Lees found out about the opportunity through former GCU lecturer Robert Kielty, who is a coach with Rutherglen Glencairn Football Club.

After a chat with Robert and the clubs committee, Matthew was revealed as the club’s new Community and Commercial Sports Development Officer.

He explained how the role was the perfect fit at this time and how he’ll balance it during his final year at university.

Matthew said: “The main two things my job will look at are community and commercial development. We want to make sure everyone knows about the team but also create and support local community clubs. We’re also keen to get a working relationship with schools around promoting the team but also to get them involved with health and well-being.

At the start of uni I didn’t know if I wanted to go down the commercial marketing route or the community development route and this job is absolutely perfect because it’s split between both sides I’m interested in.

I’ll have experience of dealing with community programmes but also marketing the club and handling different types of sponsorship and commercial deals.

I’ve kind of stumbled my way over the last few years and not been 100% about where I’m going to go. Now I’ll have real-life experience which will help me for when I graduate with what kind of route I go down.”

He added: “I’ve got to balance this alongside my other part-time job and university, so there’s a lot of juggling.

I’ve already made a head-start with my dissertation and have targets in place for continuing that and also in my role with Rutherglen.

I’m also keen to obviously keep the social side to my life and be able to continue seeing my friends and girlfriend!”

Matthew did admit he would like to have done things slightly differently and had a message for other students at GCU.

He explained: “I’m going into fourth year and should’ve done something like this a long time ago. In an ideal world I would’ve been doing this for three years and then taken a step back with my dissertation but I’ve done the opposite.

When you’re leaving uni you need experience for whatever you’re going into, so the one piece of advice I would give would be to try and get something – even if it’s just one night a week - just so that you can have it on your CV in addition to you degree.”

By Ross Clark
Got an SHLS or GSBS story? Email Ross.Clark@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on Twitter