Business of Sport

Noel Mooney is the CEO of the Welsh FA. So, what does it take to run an international football organisation? It’s a question I’ve wanted to ask from day one, and today we get to. It has been a great few years for Welsh football. Multiple tournament appearances including an iconic 2016 Euro semi final, superstar players like Gareth Bale, a team which at the moment looks like one of the most together units in the international game, and now a big World Cup play off coming up at the end of the month. Noel Mooney is the man behind the scenes in charge of leading both the international team and overseeing domestic football in Wales. It’s no small job. How do you get the professional end firing while making sure grassroots and participation is building for future success? A fresh take with a truly fantastic leader. We’re delighted to welcome Noel to the Business of Sport.

In Today's Show We Discuss:

Building Modern Welsh Football
How qualifying for Qatar 2022 unlocked £40–50m in grassroots investment

Why the FAW deliberately runs a “non-qualification” budget model

Turning World Cup prize money into long-term infrastructure

Why Wales doesn’t own a national stadium and why that might be an advantage

Centralised TV rights, sponsorship strategy and government funding

Growing the Welsh League & Attracting Investors
Why investing £4m into the domestic league is a calculated risk

The Wrexham effect and why Wales is “ripe for investment”

Whether the league could eventually sit outside the FAW structure

Politics, Performance & Global Tournaments
Managing Qatar 2022 and the One Love armband controversy

Expanding World Cups to 48 teams and what that means for smaller nations

Why Craig Bellamy is “world class” and destined for the very top

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Gemini Sports
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate
The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

Some huge football topics in the last few weeks and an amazing response to both the Spurs and Leicester situations which unfortunately for both do not look like they’re improving. However it’s the turn of Eileen Gu to stand tall this week, and after more gleeful messages than I can relay, an inevitable review of the rumoured boycotting of Pakistan players by Indian owned Hundred franchises. Add to that a look at the impact of referees losing confidence in VAR and we have ourselves a Breakdown.

Matt Richards is a double Olympic Champion and silver medallist in the pool, winning a historic back to back relay title and falling agonisingly short of individual gold in the 200m freestyle (2 hundredths of a second to be precise). And that won’t be the end of it; LA28 is firmly in his sights.
At the age of 23, he has achieved more than most will in their whole career. You would think as an Olympic gold medallist, the world opens up to, and in some ways it does. But as he describes, these are athletes surviving on tiny salaries, reliant on sponsorship and external funding, all competing for the same dollars. So Matt decided to do something about it. He’s now not only an elite swimmer, but also a business owner looking to empower more athletes with the control over their revenue generating opportunities. I have put a link below to check out the platform. A special guy with a huge amount still to come. We loved this and I hope you do too. We’re delighted to welcome Matt to the Business of Sport.

Olympic Gold & The Reality Behind It:
Winning gold in Tokyo at 18 and why it did not feel how he expected.

The brutal 0.02 second Olympic silver in Paris and how he reset overnight.

What actually changes after you become Olympic champion and how fast the buzz fades.

The Money Behind Olympic Sport:
£28,000 lottery funding and what swimmers really earn.

Why most Team GB athletes make nothing outside sponsorship.

The three month Olympic window to monetize success without harming performance.

Building a Business While Chasing Gold:
Launching Sponsor while competing at the highest level.

Why athletes must see themselves as marketing assets.

Balancing brand building, training, and the risk of distraction.

Pressure, Process & The LA 2028 Target:
Calling himself Olympic champion at eight years old.

The Olympic Village chaos, illness, and racing through adversity.

Turning silver into fuel as he targets individual gold in LA.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Gemini Sports
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate
The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

Seat Unique
Discover your next premium experience  https://wgl.io/s10it7

AND check out Sponza, Matt’s business to revolutionise sponsorship for athletes & brands https://sponza.co.uk/

This week it’s a balance of fact and hypothetical. The deep dive into Leicester’s concerning situation last week received an amazing response, and with it many requests to look at what would happen if the ever shortening odds of Spurs inconceivably going down paid out. So that’s what we’ll do! It was Charlie’s turn to suffer from the sniffles so bare with him; he’s still his usual self don’t worry. Add to this a look at how much money it takes to win an Olympic gold and the concerning events surrounding Vinicius Jr and alleged racist abuse he received during this week’s Champions League tie against Benfica, and we have ourselves a Breakdown.

After numerous shows with players from Wales, New Zealand, South Africa, France, we have ourselves an England international. And what a way to kick off the red rose association.
Anthony Watson is one of the game’s biggest names over the last decade. He broke onto the scene young, played over 50 times for England, a double British & Irish Lion, and retired by 30. Injury prevented him from achieving even more, but as you will hear it also opened up other opportunities for him. From losing his way when first dealing with life in the spotlight, to university and masters degrees with a big future to look forward to, this is an incredible insight into how the world of elite sport can deliver big success both on and off the pitch. We’re delighted to welcome Anthony to Business of Sport.

Retirement, Injury & Identity:
Why long injury spells prepared Anthony for the reality of retirement.

The shock of going from England international to silence overnight.

The unhealthy obsession with recovery and performance that followed.

Building purpose beyond rugby through media, business and new ventures.

Eddie Jones, England & Elite Standards:
Why Eddie Jones was a better man manager than people realise.

The detail and intensity required to succeed in the England environment.

What really went wrong at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

The Business of Rugby & Innovation:
Why the Premiership needs radical innovation beyond the pitch.

The reality of salary caps, squad depth and financial sustainability.

R360, disruption and why rugby cannot afford to stand still.

Player Welfare, Superstars & Growth:
Why growing the game cannot come at the expense of player health.

The tension between protecting athletes and building global appeal.

Whether rugby relies too heavily on its biggest names.

A huge thank you to our amazing partners on the show: 

Gemini Sports
We empower the most confident sports organisations on Earth https://geminisports.ai/

Slate
The complete content creation platform for social teams https://slateteams.com/

Seat Unique
Discover your next premium experience  https://wgl.io/s10it7