Episode 36

Life After Professional Sport. 

Robbie Simpson played over 500 games as a professional player, for clubs like Coventry City, Brentford, Oldham Athletic, Exeter City and MK Dons. However, it was his time at Cambridge United, in 2006, that has really shaped his life. 

During the first year of his professional football career, Robbie was studying full time at Loughborough University. He had always been encouraged to continue to pursue education alongside football by his parents, ensuring he had other options should his football dreams not become reality. 

Robbie realised that vast majority of his fellow footballers weren't in the same position he was, and that once their career came to an end, they would find themselves struggling to find work outside of the game.

So, he set up LAPS (Life After Professional Sport) to try and bridge that gap. LAPS are a careers platform that assists professional sports people to find vocation, once their sporting career is complete.

We speak to Robbie about his early career, juggling football and study, starting LAPS, and the vulnerabilities footballers have when their career ends. 

If you want to find out more about LAPS, then head to https://www.laps.careers/ or find them on Twitter @LAPSCareers

You can find us on Twitter @marking_man and don't forget to use the hashtag #WheresTheTalkingLads 

If you have been affected by any of the themes discussed in today's episode, we have listed some organisations below who are there if you need to talk:

Samaritans 

https://www.samaritans.org/

Papyrus UK

Papyrus Website

CALM ZONE

https://www.thecalmzone.net/help/helpline/