Bromley to hire Football Manager gamer to backroom staff
- Published
Are you the right person to be joining Andy Woodman and his coaching team for the final five months of the season?
Players of football management games have often thought they could do a better job than the professionals in the real-life positions.
Now they have a chance to prove it.
National League promotion-chasers Bromley are advertising a full-time job as a support performance tactician - but forget updating your CV and flexing your analytics degree, to land this role you need to simply win a league title on the latest Football Manager game.
The successful applicant will be whisked away from their mouse and out of the house from January to May to shadow and learn from the coaching team five days a week, headed by manager Andy Woodman, who spent years coaching in the Premier League under Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew, among others.
"It's a great opportunity for someone to go from the gaming chair and then sit beside us day in, day out and on a matchday and hopefully add value to us," Woodman told BBC Radio London.
"It's the age where everyone thinks they can do a better job, and that's why we love football, we all think we've got our input and our ideas.
"I can assure everyone that this isn't a gimmick. When I got offered this proposal I wanted to make sure it was on my terms where we have someone that really is part of our team and really is in the trenches with us.
"We're going to get it down to a number of applicants and then interview them and get the best one that we feel will fit into our football club and work closely with myself and my staff.
"Once they're in I'm going to make sure they're treated like every other member of my staff and they have a voice in our meetings and we'll take on board their input. I'm looking forward to it."
Miles Jacobson, studio director of the game's makers Sports Interactive, said: "Football fans are full of opinions on how their team can do better on the pitch - now we can finally find out if their theories are right."
The role will include contributing to first-team training, producing opposition analysis and supporting the backroom staff in team selection, tactics and scouting.
Applicants also need to upload a one-minute video explaining why they deserve the role, while a documentary will follow the process next year.