Head of Professional Education at GIS

Richard holds degrees from the University of Winchester (BA Hons, 1st class), the University of Leicester (MSc) and Loughborough University (PhD). He is also a qualified higher education teacher (PGCLT) and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA).

His research explores the area of labour migration in elite sport, where he has published widely. He is the co-editor of Football and Migration: Perspectives, places, players (Routledge, 2014) and editor of The English Premier League: A socio-cultural analysis (Routledge, 2017). His practical experience centres around two primary areas: player care and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Richard has 20 years' experience working with elite athletes, clubs, associations and major sports brands. He also provides expert analysis for the media - appearing in print, on radio and television.

Find out more about Richard
Area of expertise
  • Socio-cultural aspects of elite sport
  • Social psychology
Teaching & research interests
  • Athletic labour migration
  • Player care
  • Equality, diversity, and inclusion
Accreditation & memberships
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Qualifications
  • PhD – Loughborough University
  • MSc – University of Leicester
  • PGCLT(HE) – Southampton Institute
  • BA (Hons) – King Alfred’s College
Expertise in Industry

Richard has worked in conjunction with The FA, Premier League, League Managers Association, Kick It Out, British Basketball League, Elite Ice Hockey League and professional clubs in a number of sports.

Contact Richard
Publications
Books
  • Elliott, R. (Ed.) (2017). The English Premier League: A socio-cultural analysis. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R., & Harris J. (Eds.) (2015). Football and Migration: Perspectives, places, players. London: Routledge.
Book chapters
  • Elliott, R. (2017). A whole new ball game: 25 years of the English Premier League. In R. Elliott (Ed.) The English Premier League: A socio-cultural analysis. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R. (2017). Winning the war for talent: foreign players, status and the English Premier League. In R. Elliott (Ed.) The English Premier League: A socio-cultural analysis. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R. (2017). The best league in the world?: Predicting the future of the English Premier League. In R. Elliott (Ed.) The English Premier League: A socio-cultural analysis. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R. (2015). Chasing the ball: The motivations, experiences and effects of migrant professional footballers. In R. Elliott & J. Harris (Eds.) Football and Migration: Perspectives, places, players. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R. (2013). Reinventing the past: Youth and national team development in England and Germany. In A. Waine & K. Naglo (Eds.) On and off the field: Football culture in England and Germany. Berlin: Springer.
  • Elliott, R., & Maguire, J. (2010). 'Net-gains': Informal recruiting, Canadian players and British professional ice hockey. In J. Maguire & M. Falcous (Eds.) Sport and Migration: Borders, Boundaries and Crossings. London: Routledge.
  • Elliott, R., & Harris, J. (2015). Playing the long-ball game: Future directions in the study of football and migration. In R. Elliott & J. Harris (Eds.) Football and Migration: Perspectives, places, players. London: Routledge.
  • Harris, J., & Elliott, R. (2015). Perspectives, places and players: An introduction to football and migration. In R. Elliott & J. Harris (Eds.) Football and Migration: Perspectives, places, players. London: Routledge.
Journal papers
  • Elliott, R. (2022). Football, migration, and mental illness: Analysing the problematic nature of international transfers. European Journal for Sport and Society, doi.org/10.1080/16138171.2022.2075140
  • Elliott, R. (2022). Winning football's war for talent: Highly skilled migration and the making of the English Premier League. Soccer and Society, 23(4-5), 411-419.
  • Elliott, R. (2021). The man who would be worth billions: Vincent Pericard, Migration and Mental Illness. European Journal for Sport and Society, 18(4), 293-309.
  • Elliott, R. & Gusterud, E. (2018). Finding the back of the net: Networks and migrant recruitment in Norwegian football. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 53(1), 69-83.
  • Elliott, R. (2016). Football’s Irish exodus: Examining the factors influencing Irish player migration to English professional leagues. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 51(2), 146-161.
  • Elliott, R. (2014). Brits abroad: A case study analysis of three British footballers migrating to the Hungarian Soproni Liga, Soccer and Society, 15(4), 517-534.
  • Elliott, R. (2013). New Europe, new chances?: The migration of professional footballers to Poland's Ekstraklasa, International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 48(6), 736-750.
  • Elliott, R. & Bania, K. (2013). Poles apart: Foreign players, Polish football and Euro 2012, Soccer and Society special issue, 'Exploring the cultural, ideological and economic legacies of Euro2012', Soccer and Society, 15(2), 256-271.
  • Elliott, R. & Harris, J. (2011). Crossing the Atlantic from Football to Soccer: Preliminary Observations on the Migrations of English Players and the Internationalization of Major League Soccer, WorkingUSA, 14(4), 555-568.
  • Elliott, R. & Weedon, G. (2010). Foreign players in the Premier Academy League: ‘Feet-Drain’ or ‘Feet-Exchange’? International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 46(1), 61-75.
  • Elliott, R. (2009). 'Feet-Drain' or 'Feet-Exchange'?: Examining the Effects of Elite Foreign Footballers in the Premier Academy League. Birkbeck Sports Business Centre Research Paper Series, 2(2), 71-87.
  • Elliott, R., & Maguire, J. (2008). 'Getting Caught in the Net': Examining the Recruitment of Canadian Players in British Professional Ice Hockey. Journal of Sport and Social Issues, 32(2), 158-176.
  • Elliott, R., & Maguire, J. (2008). 'Thinking Outside of the Box': Exploring a Conceptual Synthesis for Research in the Area of Athletic Labour Migration. Sociology of Sport Journal, 25(4), 482-497.
  • Maguire, J., Mazur, Z., Wawrzyczek, I. & Elliott, R. (2009). 'New Europe, Old Games': Making Sense of Anglo-Polish Media Coverage of England versus Poland Football Matches. Sport in Society, 12(2), 141-154
Conference papers
  • Elliott, R. (2021). ‘Football, migration and mental illness: Analysing the problematic nature of international transfers.’ Paper presented at 17th European Association for Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Andalucía: Spain.
  • Elliott, R. (2019). ‘Suffering in silence: Elite migrant footballers and the risk of mental illness’. Paper presented at 16th European Association for Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Bo: Norway.
  • Elliott, R. (2018). The precarious nature of foreign sojourn: Vincent Pericard, migration and mental illness. Paper presented at 15th European Association for Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Bordeaux: France.
  • Elliott, R. (2017). Winning the global war for talent: Immigrant players, status and the English Premier League. Invited paper presented at High Point University and the University of North Carolina Greensboro, North Carolina, USA.
  • Elliott, R. (2016). Networks and migrant recruitment in professional football: An analysis of the Norwegian Tippeligaen. Paper presented at 13th European Association for Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Copenhagen: Denmark.
  • Elliott, R. (2015). Ireland's loss, England's gain: An analysis of the factors influencing Irish player migration to English professional football leagues. Paper presented at 12th European Association for Sociology of Sport Annual Conference, Dublin: Ireland.
  • Elliott, R. (2015). From the Baltic to the Solent: Some preliminary observations on the role that football can play in the integration of Polish migrants in Southampton. Paper presented at Football as Inclusive Leisure, Southampton: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2014). Professional football, commercialisation and the sponsorship, advertising, media axis. Invited paper presented at Encontro Internacional de Futebol Unisport, Sao Paulo: Brazil.
  • Elliott, R. (2014). Elite youth development and ‘feet-drain’ in Brazilian football. Invited paper presented at Encontro Internacional de Futebol Unisport, Sao Paulo: Brazil.
  • Elliott, R. (2013). Hungary for a chance: A case study analysis of British professional footballers' migrations to the Hungarian Soproni Liga. 10th European Association for Sociology of Sport conference, Cordoba: Spain.
  • Elliott, R. (2012). Football and international relations: People, places, power. Invited paper presented at Football: Politics of the global game, Warsaw: Poland.
  • Elliott, R. (2012). Poles apart: Examining the migrations of professional players to Poland's Ekstraklasa. International Sociology of Sport Association World Congress, Glasgow: Scotland.
  • Elliott, R. (2012). The global game, the global league: Examining the globalisation of the English Premier League. Invited paper presented at University of the West of England Hartpury Sports Management Conference, Gloucestershire: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2011). 'Back to the future': Assessing the problems facing youth development in English grassroots and elite level football. Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference: Leisure in Transition: People, Policy and Places, Southampton: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2010). Football’s ‘other’ transfer market: Examining the effects of foreign players and processes of ‘feet-exchange’ in the Premier Academy League. Centers and Peripheries in Sport, Malmo: Sweden.
  • Elliott, R. (2010). The athlete as highly skilled migrant: Examining the significance of a conceptual synthesis in athletic migration research. Sport and Diaspora, Lisbon: Portugal.
  • Elliott, R. (2009). A game of two halves?: Foreign players in the English Premier League. Invited paper presented at Central Council for Physical Recreation European Summit, London: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2009). Football's foreign exchange: Challenging perceptions of foreign player involvement in the English Premier Academy League. Play the Game: 6th World Communications Conference on Sport and society, Coventry: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2009). Football's new 'foreign legion'?: Foreign players in the Premier Academy League. Invited paper presented at FC Business Live Player and Coach Development Conference, Birmingham: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2008). 'Feet Drain’ or ‘Feet Exchange’?: The Effects of Foreign Players in the Premier Academy League. Invited paper presented at 'Feet Drain': An Opportunity for Players and a Loss for Nations Conference, London: England.
  • Elliott, R. (2007). 'Ever Increasing Circles': Exploring the recruiting motivations of coaches in British professional ice hockey. Paper presented at 4th Conference of the European Association for Sociology of Sport, Munster: Germany.
  • Elliott, R. (2005). Crossing Blue Lines and Baselines: North Americans in British Elite Basketball and Ice Hockey. Paper presented at the British Sociological Association Sociology of Sport Research Group 1st Annual Postgraduate Research Forum, London: England.
Consultancy reports
  • Elliott, R. (2014). League Managers Association Review of Conduct in Technical Areas. Burton: League Managers. Association.
  • Elliott, R. (2011). League Managers Association Review of Technical Areas. Warwick: League Managers Association.