PFA Careers After Football: Jimmy Quinn
Jimmy Quinn had a prolific career which spanned 18 years in the game as a player before taking up management. The highlight was winning the Second Division ‘Golden Boot’ award in the 1993-94 season when he scored 40 goals to help Reading win promotion. Now he has entered pastures new and is still involved in the game, even though a change of career didn’t quite go according to plan. Lawrie Madden finds out why....
You have recently been doing a course. What was the course?
It was a HGV driving course. I passed but couldn’t get a job because they changed the rules. You need two years experience before they consider you and even though I passed I didn’t have the two years behind me to land a job. It is difficult. How are you supposed to get the experience?
Has it been disappointing not to find work after passing the exam?
Yes it has. The PFA have been fantastic and have helped towards paying so much towards the costs and I would recommend them to anyone but it has been a disappointing outcome for me.
Did you not know about this before?
No, they have changed the rules. All the agencies who want HGV drivers say they want two years experience which is a new thing. I have tried all the agencies in Nantwich and Stoke but no luck as yet.
So what are you doing now?
I was appointed head coach at Nantwich last April and before that I was Director of Football. I played for the club until I retired in 2006. They have a brand new stadium and are just one league down from the Conference North, so we’re looking to push on.
How are you finding coaching at that level?
Well, we were down the bottom when I took over and we managed to avoid the drop. I am now looking to bring in new players. I am enjoying it. It is a bit different to when I was at Bournemouth. I was in the job for four months, the club were in administration and had been docked 17 points. I managed to get them to plus eight points but was sacked on New Year’s Eve at 9pm in a hotel.
Any advice for players who are looking for something after football?
It is difficult. I would like to see players being given seminars to prepare them. Football is like being in the army and when you finish you don’t know what to do with yourself. Football has been your life and it is difficult to adjust no matter what the job is or no matter how well paid it is. It is like going back to civvy street so any help making the adjustment would be a bonus.
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