Talking Transfers x Inside Recruitment: Football Transfer Forum

The Football Transfer Forum (FTF) is fast becoming one of the most attended football insider events on the UK calendar.

Founded by Tony Sharkey, who has seen the FTF through from initial concept to flourishing webinars and live meetings, the event allows individuals in the world of football to share their knowledge and expertise on a number of different topics within the game - namely transfers, scouting and recruitment.

This year's event is taking place at Leicester City’s King Power Stadium on Wednesday, 24 November, with previous versions having taken place at Anfield, Elland Road, the Etihad Stadium and at Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium - which staged the first incarnation back in 2017.

What is the Football Transfer Forum?

The Football Transfer Forum is a bi-annual networking event, for anyone involved in football transfers, scouting and recruitment.

The list of those attending is increasing with each and every event, and attracts a number of key figureheads in the world of football - including sporting directors, heads of recruitment, chief scouts, European scouts, loan managers, agents and lawyers, and others.

Speaking to 90min, Sharkey, a long-standing football agent himself, reveals how the concept came about and what he aims to achieve with FTF.

“I knew I could something which I felt was better suited to the needs of football.,” Sharkey says.

“I attended a few events, such as Wyscout early on and there very much something in the idea, but it wasn’t quite right for me.

“I wouldn’t say I was inspired or even had that sort of ‘light-bulb’ moment, I could just see what was needed and perhaps how something that could be tailored that was more suited to me and therefore the wider football recruitment audience in England.

“That was back in 2015 and it was two-years later when we launched are first event in Middlesbrough, and we have not looked back since.”

Sharkey has been growing the event since those early days in his hometown of Middlesbrough, and the event at Leicester will welcome some huge names in football as guest speakers – which will surround a day of possible transfer planning ahead of the January window.

Each event has boasted some big names in football, but Sharkey is delighted with the line-up he has put together in Leicester; one that includes Leeds United’s highly regarded sporting director Victor Orta, as well as former Leicester City chief Steve Walsh.

There is also an international flavour with sports lawyer Marcos Motta, who played a part in football's biggest transfer of all time - Neymar's €222m move from Barcelona to PSG.

“I am delighted with the trio with have managed to get, Victor Orta, Steve Walsh and Marcos Motta are all wonderful in their own right so to have all three in Leicester will be very special indeed," Sharkey admits.

“And that is only part of the day, which we have huge hopes for – we already have over 30 clubs attending the event, and they will all be active in our networking part of the day.”

On the hectic schedule of the day, he continues: “It is a really busy day, introductions then opening speaker which this time is Victor Orta before we move onto the networking. We call  this speed networking an allows everyone to interact.

“Then the second speaker, which this time will be Marcos Motta and then it moves into more networking around clubs, sporting directors and agents. “We then have the third speak in Steve Walsh, and being in Leicester there will be few more popular people than him – so this is going to be busy, and it is what we are looking forward to.

“And I just want to praise everyone who has helped putting this together, this is not a one-man show at all, everyone has chipped in and we have navigated this period of Covid only thanks to a huge team effort.”

Looking ahead Sharkey admits the future is bright for the FTF, with the possibility of hosting events outside the UK a possibility – but post Covid they are taking things slowly.

“We have ideas plans, maybe an event in Europe soon – but next year we hope to go back to our pre-Covid plans of two events annually. One before each window, so April and November, which we think works well.”