The Art and Science Of Winning

In this podcast episode, Don MacNaughton speaks with former professional footballer Kris Boyd. They discuss Kris's football career and the influence of managers like Steve Clarke. Kris reflects on the importance of resilience and constructive criticism in sports, emphasizing the role of his father in his development. The conversation also covers Kris's move into the media, his experiences...

In this episode of "The Art and Science of Winning," host Don MacNaughton converses with Coinneach MacLeod, the Hebridean Baker. They delve into Coinneach's transition from football marketing to a successful baking career,running alongside his football role. This episode emphasizing the transfer of skills across industries. Coinneach shares his journey of leveraging his marketing bac...

"What happens when the final whistle blows on your playing career? The Art and Science of Winning returns for Series Two, diving deeper into football's most challenging transition - life after playing professionally. From the creators who brought you raw, honest conversations about falling in love with football and the journey from player to coach, comes a new series exploring the untold stories o...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by K.V. Oostende striker Dapo Mebude. For as long as he can remember, Dapo had wanted to become a footballer. He had the opportunity to join the Glasgow Rangers Youth Academy at ten years old and turned professional six years later in 2017, when he made his debut at Ibrox. Dapo acknowledges the numerous mentors that instilled confidence, ambition, and drive in the...

John Kennedy on Coaching Today’s Young Players Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Celtic assistant manager John Kennedy. John kicks off the conversation by describing the value that playing football on the street brought to his life in childhood in terms of camaraderie, challenge, and creativity. He spent his early teen years in Celtic’s youth system. It is an experience that he is intensely grat...

Michael Sandilands of of Offxspringz Clothing Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Mike Sandilands, football fan and Founder of Offxspringz Clothing. The brand began as a “lockdown project” between the proud father and his two daughters Mylah and Harper in February 2021. Initially, Mike challenged himself to take the drawings his daughters were doing on their blackboard, digitize them, and print th...

Coinneach MacLeod, The Hebridean Baker Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Coinneach MacLeod, author of The Hebridean Baker: Recipes and Wee Stories from the Scottish Islands . Born and raised on the Isle of Lewis, Coinneach wrote the book having been inspired by traditional family recipes and homegrown produce. He rose to fame as The Hebridean Baker on TikTok in 2020 and currently educates and en...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by MP for Edinburgh South Ian Murray. He was previously Chair of the Foundation of Hearts and stepped down in  2016 in order to focus on his parliamentary duties. A football fan first and a politician second, he considers his resignation from the Hearts Board as “the worst mistake I’ve ever made in my life.” Being a Hearts fan for as long as he can remember, I...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Aberdeen F.C. goalkeeper Joe Lewis. Joe had always loved being a goalkeeper since finding his passion for football at a young age, humorously adding that “every goalkeeper you speak to will always fancy themselves as a striker or an outfield player.” Among his role models were his own father and brother who were keen athletes in their own right, as well as fello...

This week, I welcome Stuart McCaffrey, the Chief Operating Officer of The Scottish Football Partnership (SFP), to the Football, Mindset & Leadership Podcast. In this episode, Stuart talks about the importance of football in communities and shares invaluable advice like urging players to "focus on education to complement their careers." Lastly, he shares how to get i nvolved with supporting the...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Malky Thomson, Head Women’s Coach at Rangers Football Club. After briefly going down memory lane and recalling the journey of the growth of his passion for football, Malky reflects on yesterday’s football culture, through which previous generations grew not only in their love for the sport, but also in their resourcefulness, street smarts, and community spirit....

An introduction to Visualisation When we visualize, we're tapping in the same neural pathways, and then putting software down on it.  For example  So we're actually running a program that says, "You know what? I'm visualizing myself getting on the end of a cross six yard out. I can see myself getting on the end of it and flying past to keep it." Now that doesn't guarantee that would happ...

Pat Nevin didn't wake up one morning and decide that he wanted to be different. He just was. Since his early childhood growing up in a tenement in Glasgow, he was raised to believe that developing through reading and deep self-exploration was a part of life. His earliest role models weren't the great football players before him, but the Glaswegian working-class men and women he admired like his br...

The Mindset of a Winning Team with Ryan Christie Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Bournemouth and the Scotland midfielder Ryan Christie. Ryan relates his lifelong love of football, having been immersed in the sport for as long as he can remember. He recalls an early memory of his father Charlie, a footballer and coach in his own right, taking him to the pitch and showing him the ropes near the...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by former Celtic and Scotland forward Simon Donnelly. He starts off speaking about navigating the continued challenges posed by the lockdown, saying that he is grateful for any opportunity he gets to spend time with fans or his teammates in person. “In football,” says Simon, “you can be sitting in a dressing room with teammates one minute, and you’re out the door t...

Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Kenny Millar, football writer, journalist, and consultant. He talks of his journey in football writing and how players can harness social media effectively to maximise their brand and career. “From the age of ten,” says Kenny, “I knew I wanted to be a football writer, and that was all-consuming. I’d be writing match reports from the TV.” By the time he began wor...

Today on the podcast I am joined by Craig Brown CBE, former Director and now ambassador at the Aberdeen Football Club, as well as the former Director of Football Development and International Team Manager at the Scottish Football Association. In the second part of our interview with Craig, we continue our conversation on lessons he has learnt from other coaches throughout his career. We also have...

Today on the podcast I am joined by Gordon Forrest, Assistant Manager of Heart of Midlothian Football Club. He has coached in Scotland, New Zealand and in Canada, where he was with Vancouver Whitecaps FC. As the sport evolves, having well-thought-out infrastructure in place has become extremely important to the individual development of today’s players. Gordon touches on the fundamentals of a grea...

  Darren O'Dea on Football, Change and Mindset Today on the podcast I am joined by Celtic F.C U18 coach Darren O'Dea. He speaks about his love of sport and football and the lessons learned playing around the world. Darren opens the conversation describing his return to playing football after some time since the lockdowns and the importance of habits, consistency, and taking ownership for anyb...

George Galloway talks about the influence of football on Scottish society.

Today on the podcast I am joined by Craig Mulholland, Academy Director at Rangers Football Club. Craig explains that the pandemic has obviously caused many a plan to change in the world of football; but more than that, a stronger culture of introspection and the development of individual players has slowly grown amid the lockdowns. “Every player,” says Craig, “has an individual plan and an individ...

Peter MacDonald talking about his journey in the game .

What is success for you as a coach , how do you measure it ?

Growth Mindset  As a football coach, it’s easy to solely focus on the tactics and strategies that your team will employ in the next game. It’s also easy in youth sports to overlook players who may not be performing their best or whose skills are overshadowed by their stronger and more inherently talented teammates. But it isn’t your job to make sure that only a single player shines on the fie...

Today on the podcast I am joined by Gary Gibson, Head of Soccer Academies & International Relations at Rangers Football Club in Glasgow. As a global brand, Rangers F.C. always strives to stay “in the mix” with every other European football club with an international program. Currently, the club is in ten countries: the U.S., Canada, Dubai, Qatar, India, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Australia, and...