England, the home of football, the country where the history of this discipline began to write. In Latvia we can find unusual newcomer from this country, 36-year-old Anthony McMullen. Currently he’s training club from the third level – Mārupe SC. We talked about how Anthony got to Latvia, about Latvian football compared to England and other interesting things that concern both Latvia and Great Britain! It’s first interwiev in english published here!
Rafał Kobza (Bałtycki futbol): I will start our conversation with looking for the reason why you arrived and live in Latvia. Wife, family?
Anthony McMullen (Mārupe SC): I’d visited Latvia as a tourist a couple of times and liked the country. I made a connection with Justin Walley (Riga United), we were talking for a long time. I went over to Riga and met him, players at the club, and told me about me potentially taking over from his role as Riga United Womens Head Coach. I felt it was a great opportunity for me as a coach and a person. It was just what i needed at the time as my life in the UK was difficult.
Can I ask what do you exactly mean with „difficult”?
Yea of course. I was working in the police, i done it for 8 years and it was tough. I had been off sick for a few months, and during the same time i was going through a divorce as well.
So coming to Latvia was like a „cure”.
It was just good timing really. I had been looking at options to leave the UK for years before that!
What you knew about Latvian football before you came there? Which year it was?
I moved here in 2016, this is my 4th year here. I didn’t know a lot to be honest. I had to quickly research and network so i could hit the ground running. I know lots of players and coaches all Latvia now. The clubs, the leagues, the Womens clubs and leagues etc. I wasn’t prepared for football in Latvia. It’s totally different to what I’m used to. I’ve lived football my whole life, it’s almost a religion for me. On the whole, it isn’t like that here and i still find that very difficult to deal with.
What are your experiences with football in UK?
I played for many clubs in UK at different standards over the years, playing in Wales mostly. I do my outfield coaching courses with the Welsh FA. They are doing a great job producing players for such a small country. My first real coaching job was Riga United Ladies Head Coach. I previously helped out at Wigan Athletic Ladies as a GK coach. I was still playing regularly when i left the UK. I never played here much as i put all my time into coaching. I only play now when I need to.
What are the differences between coaching in UK and in Latvia?
There are a lot of differences in general. Most clubs in the UK have their own stadium (some share obviously). When you play at home in the UK, it genuinely feels like home and that you have an advantage. Here, stadiums are mostly shared with several clubs, and quite a lot are sports centres or schools. In the UK, most clubs have history and heritage, reputation. They don’t have that here. There’s the expectancy to win at all costs and have such desire that it means everything, it’s just not the same here. To give you a specific answer to your question (coaching), the dressing room is totally different. It’s a football thing, it’s a cultural thing also. In general the dressing rooms are quiet places here, no one wants to speak out of turn. I always try and open it up to the players to freely discuss things in the dressing room. It takes time of course, but it’s difficult at first. In the UK, players don’t need an invitation to speak!
Communication (again) during training and games can be low key and quiet here. I always encourage my players to speak to each other, to help each other. I sometimes plan a session to fail, when i deliver it and it breaks down, i put it to the players to solve. What would you change to make it work? It brings the teamwork, communication and players having to take responsibility. This is what i want to see on a matchday.
It’s mostly cultural really. Another thing is that players here on the whole aren’t very streetwise. By that I mean, not very savvy. They don’t slow it down when they need it to, or hurry it along when needed. They don’t go down too easy, they don’t give good or clever fouls away. In the UK, players are very switched on with these things!
I also coached FK Aliance for a season between RU and Cēsis. The group we have currently at Mārupe have the most talent that I’ve been involved with as a Coach. I think we would be competitive in the English non league step/tier 5. But it’s obviously quite hard to say!
What do you think about Justin Walley? I think that he first has co-created club for international society in Riga, many nationalities play there. How was your work with him?
Justin is a great guy, a close friend. He helped create Riga United and it has grown into a great little club. Yes it’s full of International players from all over, most studying here. I know it’s difficult for them to remain competitive over the student holidays as players usually return home. But Justin is a very knowledgeable man, not just with football, but in general. I enjoyed coaching with him, in fact in my 3 jobs since, i have had, i have been on my own. It’s tough coaching on your own, its always nice to bounce ideas off someone and get that support. Justin (and others) help me out, but obviously not at training or a matchday. We regularly have around 28 at training, and with me in my own almost all the time, it’s challenging to run a session how I want it. It’s not ideal, but it’s a local community club and we want to grow the game here, to include everyone who wants to play. One of the most important things for me, is to create a clear pathway to the first team by creating the age group we’re missing (16/17). I’ve already given game time to a 15 year old from the academy and that’s the direction I want to steer the club in.
In Riga United main language is english, but Cēsīs or Mārupe are more „latvian” clubs. How looks your communication in the team? Do you speak latvian?
Yes at RU the common language is/was English. At my other clubs, it’s been 99% Latvian. I still speak in English nearly all the players understand English. I always make sure everyone understands, like pre/post game meetings, i ask the players not so confident to sit next to players who are very good English speakers so they can help where needed. Having a Latvian family means i have a decent understanding of the language. I probably know more than people realise i know – which puts me in a good position! I do speak little bits of Latvian, most of the lads just laugh at me though! I need subtitles when speaking Latvian!
Please, tell me more about your Latvian family.
My partner is Latvian, from Saldus. We have 2 daughters they are both at kindergarten and another one due to make an appearance shortly! They all speak Latvian and English. We have a mixed language household. We live in a small community just on the outskirts of Riga.
So you’ll stay in Latvia? (laugh)
I hope so. We bought a housr last summer. I have no real intention of moving. Obviously I want to make a career in coaching and would like to do that here. Will I get the opportunities? I doubt it to be honest. I am prepared to go to another country if there is an opportunity.
Well, Latvian football looks not so good, right? I’m talking more about national team case, because clubs give more hope.
Riga done well last season in europa league qualifiers, but they are the comfortably best team in the country. It’s good for Latvia though as success, no matter how small, increases interest and participation and that’s how the game grows.
Let’s talk about your team Mārupe. I don’t know much about her, but I imagine her as a squad of local guys, where everyone knows each other. Am I right?
At Mārupe, we have academy teams from 6 years old. In the first team we have around 75% that actually live in Mārupe. In the first team squad we have around 9 players who are 18 or under. Yea, most people know each other. We’ve brought in a few players in pre season, lost a few from last season, but in the main is the same squad from last season. We have some experienced players as well, it’s a good mix.
This year you were at a training camp abroad (In Mazeikiai, Lithuania) for the first time in the history. Can you share with your impressions?
Yea of course. It was my idea to play in Lithuania. I felt it was important for myself and the group to get to know a bit more about each other in a different environment. Atmosfera agreed to host us and we travelled there before going to a little holiday complex in Saldus afterwards. It was good to see the lads away from training, having a beer, sashliks and sauna etc. I’m very personal and honest with the players and i want the same of them towards me, i think it’s important for mutual respect and progressing as a group on the pitch as well.
Yes, we got beat 1-4, although it was never a 1-4 game. It was 1-2 at half time and I made 11 changes through the 2nd half to include everyone who travelled. The combination of all the changes and them scoring a penalty (wasn’t a penalty for me) killed the fixture really. But they had some good players and will look out for their results this season, if and when it starts!
When the season starts, you will play in the 2nd league (third tier). The federation described this competition as for teams „ready to compete in the 1st league after promotion”. What are your goals for the current season?
The clubs aim is to get into the first league. The club has everything in place to play at that level, the stadium, academy, general infrastructure. It’s a new league (tier created) so it’s a bit of an unknown as to the standard. I have either played against or seen most of the teams in the previous 2 years, so it depends on who everyone has recruited. I like to think that we can compete for top 2 or 3 and that would be a very good achievement. In our last 2 friendlies, we played Saldus (first league) and narrowly got beat 1-2. In our last game we best Riga United 6-0, so we are in good shape for the season.
What is the style of play in the lower leagues in Latvia? Is this pretty physical football, lot’s of hard play?
Honestly it all depends. At league 2 level in the last 2 years, the standard in the division was huge. For instance at Cēsis i only had a few players who had even played 11 a side before. We were playing against teams who had players playing in the virisliga the season before. It can be physical, nowehere near as physical as English non league and what I’m used to though. Most bad tackles I’ve seen here have been clumsy rather than malicious intent. In our first four pre season games, we’ve used 3 formations and players in several positions. I want to see what best works with what we have. I know some coaches have a philosophy and play a certain way. But i have core values that do not change from game to game, the expected standard of all players. Then we have playing style/formation that will slightly change depending on opposition.
Did you have any unusual situations? You know, the lower leagues abound in many strange, unbelievable stories. I believe you have some anecdotes.
Well when i was a coach at FK Aliance, we played Olaine away. We were getting beat 3-0 at half time, I made a couple of changes and honestly, never felt so confident that we would get something from the game. It ended 4-4 and we equalised (a penalty) with the last kick of the game. After the final whistle, I was shaking hands with officials and players, and an Olaine supporter ran onto the pitch and started to attack the officials! I was in the middle, trying to stop the supporter and one of the linesman was teting to hit him with his flag and mostly getting me! There were no serious injuries, the Police attended and dealt with it!
There was some fear, but it is a good transition to the topic of supporters. How many fans are usually in the 2nd league’s stadiums?
Again this varies. We’ve played in front of 5 and played in front of 150 people. We already have a decent support at Mārupe and our aim is to average 100 for home games. It’s more than achievable and we will try and hit our target. The club already offered things like free popcorn to kids last season.
What would you say about Mārupe as a place for living?
It’s a very nice place. It’s close to the city centre and to the airport. A lot of families live here. Population of around 20k, has doubled in the last 10 years. Over a quarter of the population are under 14. So if we get our strategy right through the club, we have a very bright future.
Differences between life in Latvia and UK?
Life in UK in general is hectic to say the least. It’s all about how much money you earn, what can you buy, what can you show off? Here in general it’s more relaxed and laid back. I can only speak about my own experience, and others may have a different opinion of course. I prefer life here. It can be annoying at times. There is little or no flex in rules here, which isn’t always a bad thing, but can be frustrating. In the UK, people are always trying to sell you something, it’s relentless. Here, sometimes it’s difficult to try and buy something because there isn’t that level of sales need. It’s refreshing, but when you need something, sometimes i feel like pulling my hair out!
Which thing from your homeland you miss the most in Latvia? How often do you go to England?
Yes, I’m from England, my family all live in Liverpool. In the 4 years I’ve been away, I’ve visited once for Christmas and also been back maybe 12 times for coaching course contacts, so quite a lot of regular travel. That will continue as I progress on the Scottish and Welsh pathways. I miss simple things like going to pub for a beer on a sunday afternoon and reading the newspaper. I miss certain foods but i eat far more healthier here.
I like nearly all Latvian food, I’m a fan of potatoes and meat so I can’t go wrong really! I’ve also relly come to like all the different salads, especially in the summer. Liga, my missus, was shocked when we returned to the UK and found that in the places we ate, there were only 2 or 3 salad options. Here, you normally get a whole menu on salads! You also notice things like in some places in the UK, a burger and chips is cheaper than a salad. Latvian beer is also so much better than in UK!
How do you see your future? Are you planning to stay longer in the Mārupe team? Do you have any long-term plans?
I want to take Mārupe into the first league (2nd tier). I will stay here as long as i am wanted by the Ringolds the President and the players. Personally I am happy to continue my education, and learning off the pitch and building experience on the pitch. I feel like I’m always learning and improving, that’s important for me. Long term, I obviously want to go as high as I can, to keep pushing myself to be the best coach that I can be!
And at the end a question like during job interview at a corporation. Where do you see yourself and Latvian football in 10 years?
