MATT BIRNIE REVEALED

Matt Birnie, a Loughborough Graduate and former Men’s Football BUSA Championship winner, is now a successful coach at Chelsea FC Employed as part of Jose Mourinho’s Staff, at one of the most glamorous sides in the world, he works with the under 11 side at Chelsea’s prestigious academy centre alongside ex-Chelsea player Eddie Newton.

A revolutionary TV Show ‘Football Icon’ has recently been filmed at the Chelsea Academy. The concept behind this original football reality programme is to find the next ‘John Terry’ or ‘Frank Lampard’, in other words the X-factor of football with Simon Cowell being played by a balding ex-player called Ray Wilkins.

Matt has been involved with the new Sky one show and can be witnessed coaching and helping out in the background of some of the footage from the hit programme. His partner Colleague, Eddie, is heavily involved and has taken the icon players through their paces as ray Wilkins and Youth Development Manager ‘Neil Bath’- Matt’s Boss whittles down the numbers until one player is left standing with a Professional contract for Chelsea FC in his hands, so to speak.

Peter Barkley of Label Magazine has spoken to the Ex-Loughborough Student to discover what surprises the real world that awaits us all, has in store.


How is life after Loughborough?
It’s different. No more lounging around winning Pro-evolution Soccer every day and going out at night!

Did you time at Loughborough prepare for you're current job?
I feel that the coaching with the Loughborough Universities Girl’s team helped me with the Chelsea job. I understood how to prepare session plans, work with a variety of players and also to deal with each one differently.

Landing a job at Chelsea must be a great start to you're coaching career?
Yes, it came out of the blue. I was originally going to Fulham FC for work experience with the fitness coach and then got a call out of the blue from the academy coach and head academy sport scientist from Chelsea.

Are you enjoying it there?
Yeah, it’s really good. I’m learning everyday from Eddie Newton and watching. The youth, reverses and first team any spare time I get to gain as much knowledge and ideas as possible.

How long have you been there now?
I have been here since the summer, around 5 months now.

How are the other coaches treating you?
Well the majority of the coaches are a lot older than me so gaining respect is always difficult, but I feel I get on with everyone well. There is always a joking divide between coaches and sport scientists about theories and methods! But that’s football, all about opinions!

What’s been the highlight so far?
Probably the football icon part! Performing sessions in front of the camera was quite strange, but great experience for me!

How have you been involved in 'Football Icon'?
Well as the group got cut down to the final 12 the icon lads were in for two and half weeks full time. During this time I worked on their speed, reaction resistance, strength, recovery after a game, basically all elements that Chelsea work on during the week to prepare for a match.

Do you think the Programme will be a success?
Yes I feel that the show will be good for everyone. It’s a great way for the players to get recognized by other clubs and put themselves in the shop window!

How life under the spotlight of sky one camera’s?
Well on my first day at Chelsea I had to take a strength session on the pitch with a big camera crew watching! It was quite nervous to begin with, but I got used to it as I did more sessions in font of the cameras. 

And finally what do you miss the most about Loughborough....Echo’s?
Echo’s!! Wow what a great place, where dreams are made and trainers wrecked! To be honest every night out was absolutely brilliant, but only because the mates I went out with. My housemates and the rest of the footy lads were top class and I had the best three years of my life there. I try to come up when I can, but it’s hard as I work down at Chelsea most weekends!


So there you have it, life does not have to end at the completion of you’re degree. It will certainly be a sad time, one I’m not looking forward to, but it can be the start of a new adventure one where you have money to buy things with!

Peter Barkley

A huge thanks to Barks, Kelly Tarrant, Label Magazine and Matt Birnie for this article.