Best pitch presenter you’ve ever seen:
Depends on the setting. Josh Connell tells a brilliant story to sell an idea. But Stephen Reid (below) is unmatched in the Middle East, knowing all the buttons to press.
Best sports marketing campaign (that wasn’t yours):
I’m biased, but after 137 outings and counting, it’s got to be parkrun. Fitness served up free, friendly and fun.
Best agency (that isn’t yours):
Two Circles, for what they’ve achieved in double quick time.
Best young industry talent:
Matt Barrett, Founder of Goal Click, a global football storytelling platform which aims to inspire understanding through the universal language of photographs. He and Ed Jones had a vision and have delivered it.
Best sporting event attended:
The Open Championship at St Andrew’s in 1990, when Nick Faldo won by five shots.
Best sporting event on TV:
The back nine of The Masters.
Best brand ambassador:
Arsene Wenger and Castrol for its Euro 2008 ‘ The more you know, the better you perform’ campaign. Le Professor gave the oil brand a different, analytical lens for their sponsorship, switching away from the traditional player route and building a more relevant and impactful connection with their audiences – many of them B2B. The fact Castrol still maintain a partnership with the League Managers Association (LMA) today is testament to how well it worked.
Best industry event or conference:
The Sport Industry Awards circa 2010. When the event had the scale to impress, but the intimacy to still enable people & tables to mix.
Best film containing a scene depicting the sports business:
Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty. When CEO Jerry Buss was standing on the table in the LA Lakers office rallying his marketing & commercial team.
Best book recommendation:
Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby.
Best bar or pub:
The Toucan, a small pub off Soho Square which serves a good pint of Guinness.
Best restaurant:
Marini’s fish and chips in Hampton. Friday night wouldn’t be the same without it.
Best holiday resort:
Camping just outside Salcombe.
Best box set:
24
Best influence on your career:
Andy Sutherden. A boss (twice), teammate, motivator, mentor and friend - all rolled into one.
Best dinner companions (min 4, max 6):
Pat Jennings, Tony Adams, David Rocastle & Bukayo Saka. You get the ‘red and white’ idea...
Best job in the sports biz:
Anything linked with England cricket team at the moment. They are brilliant to watch. In any format of the game.
Best professional regret:
Not working on more sides of the sports industry fence. Which is why I’m enjoying the current ride at the athlete-owned Professional Triathlete’s Organisation (PTO).
Best skill you most covet:
Humility.
Best trait you admire in others:
Resilience.
Best overrated virtue:
Temperance. Sometimes you’ve just got to go for it.
Best ambition:
To win. In my current role, helping the PTO establish a new global professional triathlon tour, which showcases the world’s ultimate endurance athletes