About

I am a Senior Lecturer in Sport Performance and the Programme Leader for FdA Athlete Professional Development.

I teach across a range of undergraduate modules whilst also supervising various undergraduate Independent Study students, postgraduate Independent Research students, PhD and Professional Doctorate students.

Having published numerous papers in the following areas, my research focus is on organisational and managerial change in professional football and talent development and identification in professional football. I am also a UEFA B Licence coach and have experience of working in a variety of professional youth football, semi-professional football and national university-level football environments. 

Teaching responsibilities

Programme Leadership

• FdA Athlete Professional Development

Module Leadership & Teaching

• Coaching Children & Adolescents (Level 5)
• Contemporary Issues: Evaluating Current Issues in Sport (L5)
• Working in High Performance Sport and Talent Identification & Development (L6)
• Exploring your World: Refining Practitioner Research (L8)

Project Supervision

• Independent Study (Level 6)
• Independent Research (Level 7)
• PhD Supervision (Level 8)

Professional interests

• Coaching and management in professional/semi-professional football
• Talent identification and development in professional football

Research interests

• Managerial and organisational change in professional sport
• Talent Identification in professional sport
• Talent Development in professional sport

Membership of professional bodies

• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Qualifications

Postgraduate Qualifications

• PhD by Traditional Route (The micro-politics of organisational change in professional football)
• MA Exercise and Sport

Undergraduate Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Coaching and Sport Development

Professional Qualifications

• UEFA B Licence
• FA Youth Award
• FA Introduction to Talent Identification
• STATS Level 3 Performance Analysis in Football
• FA Futsal Level 1
• FA Coaching Disabled Footballers Certificate

Recent conferences

• Zhang, S., Zhou, Y., Gibson, L., & McEwan, K. (2024). Re-imagining self-compassion: a healthy, effective pathway to mental toughness and performance under pressure. Paper presented at the 29^th Congress of the European College of Sport Science, Glasgow, UK. 2^nd – 5^th July 2024.

• Gibson, L., Groom, R., Bostock, J., & Akehurst, S. (2020). The micro-politics of implementing, supporting and coping with organisational change in the academy of a professional football club. Paper presented at the 28^th European Association of Sport Management Virtual Conference. 25^th September 2020

• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2017). Actions and strategies of a professional football coach during a period of organisational change. Paper presented at the 11th Annual ICCE Global Coach Conference, Liverpool John Moores University, UK. 1st August 2017

• Gibson, L., Draper, N., & Groom, R. (2016) Understanding the behaviours and actions of others during the organisational change in professional youth football. 5th International Conference for Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise, University of Chichester, UK, 1st September 2016

• Gibson, L., Groom, R., Nelson, L., & Potrac, P. (2011). Ambiguity, Manageability, and Orchestration: Implementing and Coping with Complex Organisational Change in Elite Soccer. Sports and Coaching: Pasts and Futures, Crewe, UK, 25th June 2011

Experience in industry

• First Team Coach - Stalybridge Celtic Football Club (2024 - Present)
• Assistant Manager - Clitheroe Football Club (2023 - 2024)
• Assistant Manager - Trafford Football Club (2020 - 2023)
• First Team Coach - Trafford Football Club (2018 - 2020)
• Assistant Head Coach - England Universities Men's Football Squad (2017 - 2021)
• First Team Manager - Abbey Hey Football Club (2013 - 2018)
• FP & YDP Academy Coach - Bury Football Club (May 2010 - May 2016)
• Development Centre Coach – Crewe Alexandra Football Club (2009 – 2010)
• Casual Coach – Isle of Man Sports Development Unit (2007 – 2009)

Recent publications

Journal Articles

• Pickford, B., Groom, R., & Gibson, L. (2025). Evaluating multi-disciplinary decision-making in talent development: a case study of an English Premier League academy. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. https://doi.org/10.1177/1747954125138921
• Bowyer, G., Groom, R., & Gibson, L. (2025). Leadership succession: exploring the recruitment process of 1st team managers by sporting directors in English professional football. Managing Sport & Leisure. 1-24.
• Prendergast, G., & Gibson, L. (2022). A qualitative exploration of the use of player loans to supplement the talent development process of professional footballers in the under 23 age group of English football academies. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40(4). 422-430.
• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2021). Understanding ‘vulnerability’ and ‘political skill’ in academy middle management during an organisational change in professional youth football. Journal of Change Management, 21(3). 358-382.
• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2020). Developing a professional leadership identity during organisational change in professional youth football. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise & Health, 12(5). 764-780.
• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2019). The micro-politics of organisational change in professional youth football: Towards an understanding of 'actions, strategies and professional interests'. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching, 14(1). 3-14.
• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2018). Ambiguity, manageability and the orchestration of organisational change: a case study of an English Premier League Academy Manager. Sport Coaching Review, 7(1). 23-4.
• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2018). The micro-politics of organisational change in professional youth football: Towards an understanding of the ‘professional self’. Managing Sport & Leisure, 23(1-2). 106-122.

Book Chapters

• Gibson, L., & Groom, R. (2025). Case studies. In Research Methods in Sport Coaching. L. Nelson., R. Groom., & P. Potrac. (Eds). London: Routledge.

• Gibson, L., & Butterworth, A. (2023). Micropolitics and working as a performance analyst in professional sport. In Professional practice in performance analysis. A. Butterworth (Ed.). London: Routledge.