Les Reed Biog

Les Reed

Managing Director - Sports Associated Solutions Ltd – Football and Sports Consultancy

Technical Director Fulham F.C – F.A. Premier League

Assistant Coach Fulham F.C

Manager and Head Coach – Charlton Athletic F.C. - F.A.Premier League

Previously Assistant Manager and First Team Coach Charlton Athletic F.C.

Technical Director - The Football Association

Assistant National Coach England Senior Team

National Coach England Under 21

Assistant Coach England Under 21

Les was head hunted by Howard Wilkinson to take up the post of Director of Technical Development at The F.A. in 1998 having successfully gained promotion to the Premier League in partnership with Alan Curbishley at Charlton Athletic F.C.

He joined Charlton in 1995 to coach the first team and direct all coaching at the club.

Charlton posed a new and exciting challenge with an abundance of young talent at all levels. A new chairman and an ambitious board committed to progress;He was persuaded that there was a big future for the club. In that first season Charlton reached the First division Play offs.

In 1997 Charlton was second only to Manchester Utd in developing a squad including nine home grown players. Les had been recruited as First team coach and assistant manager and in this role was responsible for all coaching and the redevelopment of the club on the Technical Side from scouting and Sports Science Support through to the youth system, the Charlton Youth Academy was born and became one of the forerunners of the FA academy system

Premier League status was achieved in 1998 and a reluctant Les Reed was persuaded by Howard Wilkinson to join the new set up at The F.A. with total responsibility for providing the future England International players. A job description so appealing that He chose England before the Premiership. The challenge of developing the international teams and World Cup winners of the future was too great to resist and Les Joined the Technical Department in June 1998 his first task being to analyse the teams and coaches at the World Cup in France and discover how the best players in the world are developed. Les met and discussed matters with a host of the world’s top coaches and no less than four previous World Cup winning Managers.

Soon after the World Cup in 1998 Glen Hoddle parted company with the FA and He was asked to assist Howard Wilkinson with the senior squad against World Champions; France. When Kevin Keegan became part time caretaker manager Les was asked to take the reigns as his assistant on a temporary basis, following his part time tenure Kevin asked him to remain as assistant coach, He continued in this role, doubling up as F.A. Director of Technical Development until Sven Goran Eriksson was appointed. He was then given responsibility for the under 21s mentoring David Platt until he took the reigns on a permanent basis on qualification for the UEFA Finals in 2002.

Les picks up the story...

"I have over 20 full International games as assistant coach in my portfolio under, Kevin Keegan, Howard Wilkinson and Peter Taylor. I was assisting Sven Goran Eriksson with scouting and match analysis and other work behind the scenes until I left the F.A. June 2004. I gained invaluable experience as assistant coach during Euro 2000 and assessing opposition at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea I left the F.A. before fulfilling my duties with the England team in Portugal for Euro 2004 I was also a technical observer during Bob Robson's 1990 campaign. I have developed my own Consultancy company ‘ Sports Associated Solutions Ltd’ and I have fulfilled Technical Consultancy contracts with The Football Association of Ireland (Republic) The Turkish Football Federation, The Football Federation of Latvia, UEFA and FIFA and Northern Ireland where I assisted Lawrie Sanchez during the World Cup campaign which saw us defeat Azerbaijan and England.

Whilst acting as consultant to Charlton Athletic during 2006 ; developing the clubs links with overseas partners, I was persuaded by the Chairman; Richard Murray to accept a permanent full time position as Assistant Head Coach within a new structure at the club; Due to the departure of Iain Dowie, I was promoted on a permanent basis to the position of Team manager / Head Coach. I resigned on Christmas Eve 2006 and returned to my consultancy business.

I have worked with some of the best players in England including the full England squad and I coached the Under 21 squad qualifying for the UEFA Championship finals in 2002.

I have also mentored some high profile names in coaching including Alan Curbishley, Peter Taylor, Stuart Pearce, Gianluca Vialli, Sammy Lee, and Mark Hughes. I was the original designer of the current UEFA pro Licence

I have trained and qualified a number of the game’s current managers and coaches at that level including the likes of; George Burley, Mick McCarthy, Alan Pardew, David O’Leary, Gary Mc Callister, Steve Bruce, Gary Megson, and have tutored a group which included, Steve McClaren, Peter Reid, Iain Dowie, Phil Brown, Gordon Strachan, Dario Gradi and many other current managers and coaches. I have conducted countless coaching courses at National and International level at home and abroad, qualifying and influencing over 2000 coaches world-wide from novice to International standard.

I have learned form the likes of; Bobby Robson, Don Howe, Dave Sexton and Graham Taylor and I have studied the work of many others closely including Gerard Houllier, Carlos Alberto Parreira, Arrigo Sachi and Fabio Cappello.".....

Having coached at every level of the game; both Nationally and Internationally including thirteen years at the F.A .Les has acquired a depth of knowledge and experience as a coach of players and educator of coacheshe is regarded highly throughout football as a professional and an innovator and has gained significant knowledge of players and systems around the world and is respected within both UEFA and FIFA.

Les Reed has the ability and experience to communicate with players, coaches and managers at all levels of the game and has proved to be accomplished in relations with the media. As a manager he`has managed at Premier League and international level and has been responsible at the F.A. for approximately fifty to sixty staff; thirty on a full time professional basis plus around thirty part time coaches, scouts and back up staff.

Les managed a multi million pound operational budget, being responsible for the International Teams budget and The Player Development budgets at the FA. He was also a Director on the Board of the National Football Centre Limited and a significant leader in this multi million pound project, which was ahead of schedule and under budget during his tenure.

Managing players, coaches, projects and strategies is one of Les's strengths. Having worked with the likes of David Beckham, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and their England Colleagues and having identified and developed the talents of Jermaine Defoe, Darren Bent, Joe Cole, Jermaine Jenas, Scott Parker, Rio Ferdinand amongst others, dealing with players is no problem. Les is a leader and motivator, an excellent communicator with vision and passion, He get things done.

Les finished his playing career at Wealdstone F.C. in 1985 Where; as player /coach alongside the legendary Brian Hall won the first non-league double of Conference Championship and F.A. Trophy. He went on to manage a number of non - league clubs before embarking on a full time coaching career which has spanned almost 20 years, in the professional game Les is amongst the most respected coaches in the country.

Les gained his Advanced Coaching Licence in 1978 and began work for the F.A. on a part time basis whilst coaching schools football and working part time for Arsenal.

Les spent the next ten years gaining experience coaching players at all levels and during this time took an opportunity to study coaching in Germany and attended the 'fussbal lehre' course (German Pro Licence) for a two-month period and visited several European countries to develop his coaching skills. He now holds Europe’s highest coaching awards.

Les continues......

"I joined the F.A. in 1986 as its first Football Development Officer and later became one of its first Regional Directors of Coaching. In addition to making a significant contribution to the Programme for Excellence, I gained significant International experience with a series of coaching assignments and secondments to Federations including Hong Kong, Malaysia, Trinidad, Ghana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. I have maintained a significant number of high level contacts overseas.

I have presented at FIFA and UEFA conferences and seminars and I have regularly conducted workshops for International Coaches and Technical Directors in the AFC, CAF, and CONCACAF confederations and lectured and presented on coaching and management for The European Union of Football Trainers and UEFA’S Technical Department. I am a Course Director for the UEFA Pro - Licence; Europe’s most prestigious award.

I have produced a number of coaching resources and have released a coaching DVD featuring Sven Goran Eriksson and the England Under 20 team. I have also published a coaching book for the F.A. ‘Basic’ Team Coaching’ ‘the official guide to success on the pitch’.

Les has worked with International teams at every level including seniors has coached at European and World competitions and tournaments. He has an in depth knowledge of football at club, European and World level and is still the only person to have coached England at every age group having been Head Coach for over 100 international matches. My win- tie-loss ratio is 70%-15%-15%

Les Reed is a proven manager of people and projects and his overall experience lends itself to employment at all levels of professional football and sport.