UCFB and VSI Executive Education host conference on the use of AI in sport

UCFB, alongside VSI Executive Education, hosted a conference in Manchester focusing on the use of Artificial Intelligence within sport, specifically the football industry.

Held at Shoosmiths in Spinningfields, Manchester, dozens of attendants learned about how best to optimise AI across a wide range of fields within sport, from coaching to media and business.

Many of the delegates at the conference were current and former professional footballers, looking at how AI can be utilised in whichever field they choose a future career post-retirement.

One of the professional footballers attending was former Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa striker Lewis Grabban, who now works as a coach.

“Well, today we’ve tried to cover as much as possible,” Lewis said, “as an introduction of AI, speaking to many people, some directors of football, and other football coaches as well.

“For me personally, I’m just trying to learn as much as possible in terms of how AI can help my role as a coach, and the multidisciplinary team as well that we that we work with on a day-to-day basis, and inevitably, with the players as well.”

Current Tranmere Rovers player Jason Lowe added: “It’s certainly interesting and thought-provoking.

“It’s showing us a world that’s potentially coming. It’s already here. And one that I will take away is how we can make friends with AI as opposed to being scared of it, because I think there’s a lot of uncertainty around it.

Many delegates were also learning about how AI can help off the pitch.

Christopher Ridyard, first team operations lead at Barnsley FC, spoke about how artificial intelligence can impact areas of a club such as finance, recruitment and operations.

“Today we’ve learned how we can blend AI with soft skills to facilitate and gain as many sporting advantages as possible.”

Southampton FC academy scout Rob Ogleby spoke similarly about the use of AI within football, saying: “We’ve been generating ideas of how we potentially use AI in the future whether it’s for the recruitment whether it’s for retention or looking at players for potential future value and skill sets.

Lewis Grabban finished: “I want to take as much possible from the conference for the multidisciplinary team to be able to do their jobs even more proficiently than we do now to focus on the players.

“I think a lot of time gets taken away from the players by doing different jobs, and if we’re able to streamline that with the help of AI in our in our jobs tactically and analytically, I think that will benefit us massively.”

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