A learning curve

Having learnt the game under some of British football's most respected managers it is no surprise that John Pemberton has taken a keen interest in the coaching side of the game.

Pemberton’s career encompassed spells at Sheffield United, Crystal Palace, Crewe and Leeds where he was managed by Dave Bassett, Steve Coppell, Dario Gradi and Howard Wilkinson, and the knowledge he gained from these four managers led him to pursue a career in coaching, even while he was still playing the game.

Alongside 16 other coaches and managers Pemberton has just completed his first week on the UEFA Pro Licence, the highest qualification in the game, and he admits that a wealth of new information has already been garnered.

He explained: "There are aspects of this course that, purely as coaches, some of us wouldn’t have been involved in before – things like contract negotiations and dealing with a club’s Chief Executive, so it does give you an insight into that side of the game.

"But it also allows you to hear how other coaches and managers go about organising their clubs and how they deal with certain situations so it’s really good to have that combination.

"It’s nice to see how different people go about reaching the same outcome on the pitch and it’s good to be able to share those ideas."

A solid central defender in his day Pemberton enjoyed more than a decade coaching at Nottingham Forest, including a period as the club’s Caretaker Manager, before his contract was mutually terminated last month. He admits finding it difficult adjusting to life outside of the game, however brief, but knows the next year on the Pro Licence will only serve to make him a better coach.

This course concentrates on elements of the game which aren’t strictly on-pitch essentials (for example, how to handle professional players, sports medicine, codes of conduct, club structure and contract negotiations are all modules on the Pro Licence) and Pemberton has already found one facet of the opening week to be very beneficial.

"We had a session on how important CVs are in football and having just left Forest that certainly helped me. I’ve not been out of work for a long time so I took some really good pointers from it. But in saying that, all the speakers we’ve had so far have been brilliant. It’s all new to me, the business side of the game and the contract stuff, so I'm learning all the time."

This football education began when Pemberton was still playing and he admits taking things from all the managers he encountered and putting them into practice whenever he could.

"I was fortunate to have learnt the game under Dario Gradi when I was a young player at Crewe. When I moved to Crystal Palace I had Steve Coppell who was tactically very astute so I picked up a few things from him," said Pemberton, who came agonisingly close to FA Cup glory with Palace in 1990, only being beaten by Manchester United in The Final after a replay.

"Dave Bassett was in charge when I went to Sheffield United and he is a terrific man-manager," he continued. "I’ve also played under Howard Wilkinson at Leeds and he was a deep thinker and very methodical in his approach.

"I’ve been lucky enough to have played under some fantastic and totally different managers and I’d like to think I’ve picked up bits from each of them, even the experiences that I didn’t particularly enjoy; you still learn from them.

"I’ve always taken an interest in the coaching side of things. When I was at Sheffield United, I coached the reserve team at certain times and when I picked up an injury at Leeds I used to work with the U12s in the Academy, so I was already looking to take my badges then.

"The Pro Licence is intense and it does overload you with information but all in all it’s been excellent so far."