DR JACOB GRIFFITHS, PROF DANIEL BLOYCE, DR GRAEME LAW

Introduction

Working in professional sport is often perceived as a glamorous and highly paid lifestyle; however, for many working as performance and medical staff, their careers begin with unpaid labour, such as an internship, placement, or volunteering. These can be opportunities for people to build a professional network and develop soft skills. However, unpaid labour is often criticised. This is because there are numerous examples of unpaid labour not providing enough benefit to those undertaking the work, such as providing inadequate workplace training. These positions have, in many sectors, become an expectation for a career in the industry.2,3 Unpaid labour has also been criticised for disadvantaging those from lower socio-economic positions and those with dependents, who are often unable to afford to work for free.4 From the outset, we want to emphasise how we appreciate that some professional men’s football clubs, particularly those at a lower level, may be reliant upon unpaid labour to support their performance and medical departments. Therefore, this article is not an attempt to criticise every club that uses unpaid labour but to highlight the importance of these positions being more than just free labour and how they should offer a learning experience for the individual.