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They’re are a lot of people involved in making a football club run properly. Groundskeepers to keep the pitch up, kit men, cleaners for the stands, painters, marketing staff, medical staff, stewards, the man who cleans out the hot and cold baths, and even the ball boys all work to make things a success. However, there are some positions at top clubs which are truly bizarre, and have made our list today.
#1 Club Magician:
Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, and Arsenal have all found they needed to dabble in the dark arts over the last decade or so. Now before you ask, they have not hired a magician to curse the other team during the match in some sort of Harry Potter-esque duel in the stand, but they did need a way to entertain guest both young and old, and found a solution in the stylings of their local magisters. (Let the Harry Potter jokes begin)
Arsenal were the first to seek the aid of the dark arts to entertain their corporate clients before the match hiring Marvin Berglas. His dark compact with Arsenal in 1993 when he became the Premier League’s first resident magician. Son of the famous illusionist David Berglas, Marvin entertains VIPs and sponsors on match days and plays in the Gunners’ celebrity supporters team as a left back.
“I am proud of my close association with Arsenal and of the magicians we provide on match days,” he explains.
Not to be outdone Spurs soon followed suit and are now looking forward to their 1th consecutive season wit ha magic practitioner on staff. For their part, Manchester United have a man who specializes in card tricks and helps to keep the Glazer’s fat and happy before the match, or if it is going poorly. This will be his sixth season in charge of curses and spells at Old Trafford.
#2 Club Poet
Tottenham have hired Sarah Wardle as their poet in residence, which apparently means to gets to right long sonnets about Garreth Bale and Harry Rednapp while pining for a nice ground to live in. Ian McMillain is the resident lyricist for Barnsley, and my personal favorite Attila the Stockbroker represents the fine clubs of Brighton and Hove Albion in his prose.
#3 Artist in Residence
Sven Goran Erickson will be happy to know he will be able to get a free portrait from Leicester City’s resident artist while he’s in charge. Perhaps this is what sealed his recent loan deal with Yakubu. The same can be said for the managers and players of Middlesbrough and Brentford.
#4 Club Historian
Most top clubs have a historian on staff, and if you have a history degree and love football, this is the place to shoot for. You get to attend every match and sit by the touchline or in a box, your choice, interview all the players and staff, including the manager, and spend all day doing nothing but writing about your favorite club.
Some great jobs to be sure if you can land them, but hey, if Liverpool ever have an opening for a historian, maybe they’ll sign me.
Written by: Matthew Wall, editor, soccerprose.com
That’s awesome that they’re using Marivn Berglas to perform sleigh-of-hand before the games. Although curses and spells, really? Lol. I’m sure that the VIPs love the performances. I am, however, a bit confused as to the need for a resident poet.