Gregg Noakes

I had a keen interest in both subjects at school and wanted to carry on my studies in both fields. Loughborough was one of the only university’s which offered a joint honours course in both subjects and once I visited on the open day I knew Loughborough was the place for me.

The diversity between both subjects. One week I would be out on a Geography field trip taking samples from a lake and the next week I would be leading a rugby coaching session!

My whole experience at Loughborough prepared me well for a career in top-level sport. From seeing and interacting with elite athletes on campus to attending lectures from world-leading professors, the whole environment and culture is of the highest standard.

Embrace the variety in the modules during first year. Find out which ones you really enjoy and then choose the follow-on modules for second and third year. It will really help your enjoyment of the course and hopefully result in higher grades!

I played football for a side that we set up to compete in the North-Leicestershire League. It was a great way of staying involved in competitive sport, making new friends and travelling around the county. Every other extra-curricular activity I took part in only enhanced my Loughborough experience.

After graduating, I started working for The Football Foundation, a sports charity which funds grassroots facilities.

From there, I moved to the Premier League, initially working on player registrations and contracts before moving to the Business Intelligence team. I currently work in the Football Department.

My role primarily revolves around the 380 Premier League matches each season, ensuring that everything runs smoothly on a matchday. I manage a group of former players and managers who assess the performance of the match officials at each fixture on behalf of the League and the two participating Clubs.

The chance to speak with Premier League players and managers is a very cool aspect of the job. As a lifelong Arsenal fan, to have the opportunity to present in front of the whole first team squad was an exciting moment. Additionally, witnessing Leicester City’s incredible achievement of winning the Premier League in my second season here was fantastic.

The implementation of Video Assistant Referees (VAR) into the Premier League for next season is the next big challenge.

Personally, I would like to progress my career at the Premier League but to coin a football cliché, at the moment I am very much taking things one match at a time and not looking too far ahead!

It always gives me an immense sense of pride when travelling abroad to see the reach that the Premier League has and the impact it has on so many people worldwide.