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Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 8:41:38
Following on from yesterday's chat... Does anyone actually know what his role is, what he does and why he's on the bench?
Re: Dearden
Posted by Ampthill Mob on 7/6/2025, 10:01:53, in reply to "Dearden"
Team Operations manager.
In the PL season the players got the train back from Liverpool after the Everton FA Cup game (we were on the same train), and he was getting the players and staff off the coach and onto the correct platform and carriages etc instructing them where to go. So maybe one of his roles is organising transport to and from games, sorting hotels for away games and stuff like that.League one again ole ole
Re: Dearden
Posted by Gothenburg Hatter on 7/6/2025, 11:49:03, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Our players can’t find a train platform or a seat on a train ?!😳 Bloody hell we are in trouble!
Re: Dearden
Posted by Interested on 7/6/2025, 15:06:08, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
To be fair, it is often quite a task.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:08:16, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Didn't Chris Clark say that was part of his role as club secretary? Can't remember now and can't find the interview online
Re: Dearden
Posted by The Outsider on 7/6/2025, 10:23:54, in reply to "Re: Dearden" VIP
Whilst it is obviously only a minor part of his role, he organises the club's allocation of complimentary tickets for players' families. If there are any left over, he arranges for them to be left for me to give away to supporters - I then wait outside the away end/away ticket office trying to find Luton fans who don't have tickets - a fair number of posters on here have benefitted from this over the years although, unfortunately, I am not one of them as I have an away ST so receive my tickets in advance.
Also, last season, the father of one of our players from overseas was over here but had no means of getting to one of the games so KD contacted me to arrange for him to travel on the coach.
As I said, this is obviously only a small part of his role which wouldn't account for him being on the bench but presumably there are parts of his role which require him to be there.
As crumpsall said, potentially a good subject for one of the Trust interviews in the programme.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:31:07, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Makes sense, most clubs have a player welfare officer
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:11:44, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
No, it isn't/wasn't. Arranging fixtures was/is though.
(Not sure if he's started at Liverpool yet - but if you look at the specific role he's taking up there compared to his wide range of duties at Luton you'll get a sense of scale of our staffing)
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:14:28, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
I would expect Liverpool to have a much bigger staffing roster, including a full legal team. They have a need for individualised roles like he's taken up, we don't.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:19:58, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Er, so we don't have the same level of staffing, obviously!!!
Perhaps worthwhile looking into how clubs operate these days. It's certainly not as simplistic as you seem to think it is elsewhere.
That interview re the recruitment chap posted this morning gives some insight there
Re: Dearden
Posted by m on 7/6/2025, 10:31:18, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Tbh. Footballers apart from train and play have pretty much every aspect of their working lives sorted for them , guys like Dearden facilitate that. Can’t run a football team in this day and age without them I doubt he’s on a fortune and is probably a decent bloke to have around the place as well
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:30:47, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
My whole point with that was Liverpools operational structure is logical and simple, even if it does have more staff members in it.
I could be and probably am completely wrong, but our new scouting set up doesn't seem to have that simple an organisational structure. Who heads that department?
Based on what The Outsider says above, Dearden is part player liason/welfare officer - fine
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:39:27, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Did you actually read the announcement? There is a clear structure, set out plainly.
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:53:50, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Headed up by Sajjad and Socik, but Tracy is chief scout.
So Sajjad is Tracy's boss, in a more director of football type role? Who sets the playing culture and overall responsibility for recruitment?
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 11:24:09, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Director of Football? Where does that come in to this? The manager has that role in my opinion/understanding. And also sets the playing culture (think that's clear in the Ben Crice interview, from memory)
Overall responsibility for recruitment, it has been stated clearly on many occasions, is three way: head of recruitment, manager, rep of 2020 (G) And contracts were drawn up by Chris Clark, so whoever replaces him in that function.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Camavinga on 7/6/2025, 9:31:17, in reply to "Dearden"
he nips down to Greggs when the players are on cheat day. According to Bloomfield the squad were well unfit so KD probably did a lot of mileage to Greggs!
Re: Dearden
Posted by Wilt on 7/6/2025, 9:21:21, in reply to "Dearden"
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 9:46:24, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Yeah I know that's his title, but what does he actually do? Is he coaching? Is he just putting the cones out? Sorting accommodation for away games?
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 9:47:08, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
See my post below! Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 9:49:11, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Yeah this is what I was getting at in my op.
I know what his job title is, just not sure what he actually does. Given the responses I'm not sure anyone does.
If it's administrative why is he on the bench?
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 10:01:44, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Yep, lots of questions - and it's not necessarily critical.Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 9:32:38, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Yep...
He left Leyton Orient in 2014 and became goalkeeper coach at his home town club Luton Town, rising to Head of Goalkeeping in 2019. In June 2023 he switched to become Team Operations Manager as Luton Town rose to the Premier League and subsequent return to the Championship a year later.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 9:46:36, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
What exactly is a "Team operations manager" though? Not tying to be arsed, just genuinely curious. It suggests things like booking hotels and arranging transport for away games, making sure right training kit and apparatus are where they need to be etc. although part/most of that seems administrative but he always wears a tracksuit!Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:01:11, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
He's always first off the coach at away games, seems to co-ordinate all the staff and team (that includes coaching staff, kitmen, physio, medics, the first team chef etc) so I guess he implements the processes put in place by the manager and key matchday bods.
Overall arrangements are established by the COO but he seems to be in charge of putting them into action. It's complex and I guess requires an operations manager. Him.
Don't have a clue why he's on the bench but who is is a decision 100% made by the team manager and he's been there under a succession of them so his presence must be deemed purposeful.
Perhaps a good subject for one of those Trust Interviews
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 10:04:26, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
When you disect it like that it sounds like an important role, so thank you for the explanation.
It's like many job titles these days that sound impressive but are often glorified titles for mundane jobs.Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:14:24, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Well, they're not going to call him 'general factotum' are they?
(Somewhat cruel puns may be available....)
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:03:09, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
If it's complex I'm not sure how other clubs manage without one Tbh, perhaps they're missing a trick
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:08:36, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
I'm fairly sure most clubs do have one, maybe under a different title.
As per some of your previous comments about other clubs like Brighton and Brentford, not all of their staff will be listed in the obvious comms. Neither are ours everywhere (programme etc)
Our back room staffing level is nowhwere near as large as many clubs. In the EPL, it met their precise and prescriptive requirements- as set out in a 350+ page document, which is publicly available I think.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:10:30, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
No it was a bit of a faff finding it all out Tbh, would be much easier if everyone listed it on their websites.
Wonder why Dearden wanted to give up coaching then
Re: Dearden
Posted by Father Ted on 7/6/2025, 12:16:05, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Looking at his limp that he has I would guess his body told him to give up. Must be doing something right a few management teams have kept him on the staff.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:17:13, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Maybe it wasn't his choice that Pilkington was brought in? Who knows, but from observation (and chat) at various events the goalkeeping bunch seem to be a tight knit group, whichever goalkeepers are at the club.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 10:32:36, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
I thought Dearden brought pilkington to the club when he was head of goalkeeping
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 10:06:19, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Obviously some jobs work at some clubs and not at others. Not all clubs have a Chaplain, for example, but most do and see the benefit of it. Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Andy Cappuccino on 7/6/2025, 9:51:20, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Isn't team operations the manager or coach?
Re: Dearden
Posted by Godders on 7/6/2025, 10:00:40, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
I dunno. Do you? I think if people knew then there wouldn't be the questions! And as I responded to crumpsall, it's not about being arsey, it's about genuine curiosity.
In the bigger picture, with all the coaches and backroom staff, the wider question is also, "what exactly does a manager do?" Seems a daft question but when you explore it, we have so many people in charge of so many different aspects (as like most clubs do, again just being curious), it can be hard to know exactly what a manager's role is. How much of the club does he actually "manage"? Several decades ago the manager was essentially the bloke who the owner employed to run the whole club. It's far more complex nowadays - even just on the playing side and everything overlaps anyway such as dietry requirements and fitness levels etc.Live justly, love mercy, perpetuate generosity, walk humbly.
Re: Dearden
Posted by crumpsall on 7/6/2025, 10:02:10, in reply to "Re: Dearden" MIB
Have you read the Trust Interviews?
Re: Dearden
Posted by SAHB on 7/6/2025, 8:59:37, in reply to "Dearden"
As far as I understand, he is goal keeper coach. A lot of clubs have their GK coach on the bench. What kind of fool would follow signs that were never there.
Re: Dearden
Posted by joey diconio on 7/6/2025, 9:05:49, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
Pilkington is the GK coach Look out for Comical Ali
Re: Dearden
Posted by SAHB on 7/6/2025, 8:56:33, in reply to "Dearden"
What is your problem with him.? What kind of fool would follow signs that were never there.
Re: Dearden
Posted by Doctor Ince on 7/6/2025, 9:47:39, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
No problem with him, he's a good gk coach by all accounts, but what is a team operations manager and why don't the other clubs I had a quick Google of have one?
#jobsfortheboys
Re: Dearden
Posted by Interested on 7/6/2025, 15:11:15, in reply to "Re: Dearden"
He's the glue that holds it all together. (Or doesn't.)
Re: Dearden
Posted by Trap 4 on 7/6/2025, 8:43:26, in reply to "Dearden"
Time he was moved on perhaps
Re: Dearden
Posted by J in C on 7/6/2025, 8:51:36, in reply to "Re: Dearden" Sarah
Why does he need moving on.
You people like to play fast and loose with peoples jobs.
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What you read on here is 100% conjecture, fiction, lies, bullshit and complete bollocks. If you want to be taken seriously, you are in the wrong place.
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on 7/6/2025, 8:41:38