UCFB coaching graduate gains role at The Athletic as football tactics writer

A UCFB graduate has been using his writing and coaching skills from UCFB well, securing a role at The Athletic as football tactics writer.

Liam Tharme, who studied BA (Hons) Football Coaching and Management at UCFB Wembley, saw the position at the global sports news website as his work placement as columnist at Brighton and Hove Albion was coming to an end.

“I was a subscriber myself at the time,” Liam said, “and liked their different way of doing journalism, specifically the focus on pieces with tactical, analytical and data lenses.”

His role as football tactics writer includes “a lot of watching football, often live games, rewatching matches, clips on Wyscout, and sifting through data too.”

In addition, Liam attends press conferences and takes part in podcasts, as well as pitching ideas of pieces for publication to the editors and then subsequently writing them.

When asked what the best thing about working in football was, he simply said: “Getting paid to attend live games.

“With a coaching background, it’s never lost on me how amazing it is to hear Premier League coaches speak and have the chance to ask questions. 

“I’ve managed to interview a few players and athletes who I’m a big fan of, too.”

Speaking about his time studying at UCFB, he said: “UCFB was the foundations for my career. 

“It wasn’t just what I learned in the lectures and seminars or did on my assignments, but how I built relationships with lecturers and my coursemates, matured as a person and learned to work with a variety of different people in different scenarios. 

“The three years definitely improved my confidence, gave me a more rounded and real-worldview, and I met some great people along the way, and was encouraged to take risks.”

He added: “The lecturers went above and beyond to find innovative ways to teach, get us access to coaching courses, put on guest lectures from top-level coaches and analysts, and made our assignments really applied and real-world. 

“Lockdown came during year two and they responded phenomenally. 

“Having small-ish classes helped, as I had friends from secondary school who waited months to have their lecturer learn their name, while we had closer relationships with ours and they were able to tailor their support and feedback.”

UCFB has a range of undergraduate degrees tailored to the sports industry, focusing on specialised areas such as sports media, coaching and business.

You can also enrol onto many of our courses as early as January 2026 to kick off your own career in the football and sports industry. Find out more and score your career goals.