A VERY relevant fact comes to the surface when considering our appointment of Lee Thomas as player-performance analyst.
Aged 28, Lee was born in Chester and lives in Ellesmere Port, the town that produced, among many other football people, Joe Mercer, Stan Cullis, Ian Bowyer and Doug Ellis. Only a few miles away, Chester was the birthplace of Michael Owen, while St Asaph gave us Ian Rush — and that whole region into North Wales, with Merseyside round the corner, is as soccer-mad today as it ever was.
Rugby League has worked wonders, though, to establish itself in that traditionally soccer stronghold and our man Lee is a shining example of what can be achieved.
The part-time pro arm of our sport has broken through with North Wales Crusaders, who used to play in Wrexham and now operate out of Colwyn Bay, but there’s a successful grassroots presence in the area as well — and its out of that Rugby League grounding with Chester Gladiators and the North Wales regional representative side that Lee found his way to the Vestacare Stadium to pursue his ambition to work in “the greatest game.”
He and his twin brother Mark were themselves decent footballers in their youth, but through a friend of a friend they went to a St Helens game, and Lee was immediately hooked.
“I watched a lot of League on the telly after that,” he said “and it ‘held’ me so much that I joined Chester Gladiators. I could run a bit so I developed into a utility back. In 2015 we won three trophies in the NW Men’s league fourth division and I got picked for the regional team.”
His job at Oldham is similar to the old stats-man, but more technical, far more sophisticated, digital-based and providing vital information for coaches Stu and Shez, not only on Oldham players but on upcoming opponents too.
In many walks of life, they say a “convert” can prove to be the most passionate of all — a view that’s certainly true of this one-time soccer man, who’s a fully-qualified rugby coach in both codes and was determined to land a job in Rugby League because that’s his preferred code and the one he has played. He also has an online diploma in sports management.
He said:
“I started at Oldham on the Friday night before the Wakefield game, just a few weeks ago. Everyone was brilliant to me as a newcomer. I soon settled in and I’m enjoying the job above all expectations.
“It’s about 45 minutes on the motorway to get from Ellesmere Port to Oldham, but the job is exactly what I wanted and what I thought it would be.
“We record training sessions as well as matches so there’s a lot of digital work with iPads and the like. On game day, I sit up in the stand, and I give Stu as much statistical info as i can which he uses to give his team talk at half-time.”
As a boy, Lee attended University Church of England Academy in Ellesmere Port before going to College in Chester at the age of 16. There, he achieved sport-related qualifications before starting work teaching sports to children with learning difficulties.
His ambition, though, was to be involved with Rugby League and when the chance of a role with the Roughyeds came up, he jumped at it, got through the interview and landed the position.
