Our Learning in Communities students

Chris graduated with an MA Community Education in 2018. Since then, he's led professional football clubs in both England and Scotland. He now works as CEO of Partick Thistle Football Club in the Scottish Professional Football League.

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At the moment

Chris is CEO of Partick Thistle Football Club in the Scottish Professional Football League. Joining in July 2023, the former Morton and Stevenage chief brings a wealth of experience to Partick Thistle having led professional football clubs in both the Scottish Professional Football League and, most recently, the English Football League. Chris oversaw Stevenage’s record attendance in the EFL and managed day-to-day club operations for much of Boro’s promotion season under first-team manager Steve Evans before having to return to Scotland for family reasons.

Your time at the University

I never thought education was for me. I didn’t have a strong academic background from my time at school and I left at the earliest opportunity. Instead, I went into the workplace at 16. That was until a few years later when I discovered the Community Education degree at the University of Edinburgh. It was a course that aligned with my working experience within the community regeneration and development sector and it interested me. I’d been working at the time as a Director for various local community projects within Glasgow and I felt I could learn a lot from the course and develop academically, where I had maybe lacked experience, and this is exactly what the course did for me. Moray House School of Education is where I studied and I really enjoyed my time there.

When I came to university, adjusting to the daily commute was the biggest challenge. I was still living in Glasgow throughout my time, and so instead it was early morning starts to make it through for lectures and tutorials, but I really enjoyed my course and it was completely worth it.

I felt I could learn a lot from the course and develop academically, where I had maybe lacked experience, and this is exactly what the course did for me.

My real passion has always been football and the University had its own football team which I was desperate to be involved in, but the commute was too much for me with the team training at Peffermill and me commuting from Glasgow at the time. Instead, I contributed to the side in a different way, I took the learning from my Community Education course and my experience of professional football teams doing more ‘in their local communities’ and worked closely with the team captain at the time to try and increase the community engagement side of the University football team.

Your experiences since leaving the University

Since leaving the University of Edinburgh I have been fortunate enough to work in three different countries including the United States, England and Scotland working in professional football.

I’ve held roles responsible for the day-to-day running of football clubs including Atlantic City (National Premier Soccer League), Greenock Morton (Scottish Professional Football League & Stevenage (English Football League).

At just the age of 26 I became a CEO responsible for managing multi-million revenue & turnover. In 2018 I was awarded a British Citizen Award from Westminster for Outstanding Contribution to Society.

In July 2023 I was appointed to my current role as CEO of Partick Thistle (Scottish Professional Football League).

Life during Covid-19

During the pandemic I led Greenock Morton Football Club through challenging times, including Covid-19 restrictions. Leading any business through that period would have proven challenging, but a professional sports club that faced no ability to trade in its normal manner, facilitate a spectator sport or even allow athletes to train in normal conditions was a real test and I was fortunate to have a great team of staff and volunteers who could help us come through that period as best as we possibly could.

It is important to create your own opportunities, believe in yourself and be confident in what you do. If you can do that, you can really achieve something special.

As someone who has managed through the pandemic, I would say leadership is your ability to hide panic from others, and you will not be able to run a front office administration effectively as a CEO unless you can lead and inspire your staff teams to success.

Alumni wisdom

It is important to create your own opportunities, believe in yourself and be confident in what you do. If you can do that, you can really achieve something special.

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What were you doing before you started your degree at Moray House? 

Before starting at Moray House I had spent several years working as a manager of wine merchant – I had previously dropped out of university in my early 20s (much to my parent’s despair) and had spent a couple of years somewhat adrift, unsure of what my next steps were going to be.

Why did you choose this programme?

I choose Community Education partly on the recommendation of a friend who had previously been through the course and because I saw it as a route to a career that would build on my strengths as a person and allow me to make a genuine difference to society. What appealed to me about Moray House was the balance between academia and exposure to real-work experience in the field of community education via our regular placements.

Why did you want to study at Moray House and the University of Edinburgh?

I chose Moray House because of the good words said about the degree by a friend of mine. I also liked that I could tailor aspects of the degree towards the areas of practice that I was most passionate about - which was youth work. More broadly, The University of Edinburgh has an outstanding global reputation and as a city to be student in I don’t think there are many better than Edinburgh.

What was the best thing about your programme?

For me, the best thing about the programme was the placement experiences I had. I really enjoyed the academic aspects, particularly as I got further into the degree, but being on placement is where you hone your skills as a community education practitioner and learn about the realities of working in what can be a challenging profession– both in terms of the demands of the job but also the nature of the sector (e.g. sometimes perilous funding etc). It is through meeting and working alongside people that are making a difference to local communities everyday that you see the real value of community education.

What did you enjoy about your studies?

I enjoyed engaging with key debates and real time issues during my studies –such as the rise of neoliberalism and the launch of David Cameron’s ‘Big Society’. Community education often involves working with local groups, but our lives are impacted and shaped by national and global forces. Interrogating and unpicking how this happens was eye opening, to say the least.

What are you doing now? 

After finishing my PhD, during which I regularly drew on my experiences of being a youth worker, I started work as a social researcher with the Scottish Government.

How did your experience at Moray House help you get where you are today?

My experiences at Moray House were a direct motivation to apply for my PhD. This involved evaluating a project that worked with young people after they left prison. Had I not trained as a youth worker then I very much doubt I would have taken the path I have followed since.

What advice would you give to someone considering studying at Moray House? 

If someone was considering studying at Moray House, I would say: don’t hesitate. This is a fantastic place to learn your craft as an educator.

How would you describe your experience in three words?

Inspiring. Challenging. Life-changing.