I’ve had a passion for manufacturing and design from an early age and have been involved in the sports industry for as long as I can remember. As a youngster I made wooden sockets for football goals and painted goal frames, and during the summer holidays I made netting for peas and beans. After leaving school I gained my first qualification in fabrication and welding; the first step on a 10 year path to becoming an experienced engineer through the City and Guilds programme. Back then products were designed and manufactured in a matter of days, and it’s these early years that have formed the foundation of my career. By always insisting on being hands on with the product, I have been able to create equipment that has been inspired by practical functionality rather than design.
Sports equipment has changed dramatically over the years with new safety standards and product innovations. As the industry moved away from wooden posts and metal hooks to extruded aluminium and goal line technology I’m proud to say that I’ve not only seen, but been a part of it all, especially in the area of sports equipment safety.
When I started in the industry there were no safety standards, and goals could be made by anyone, often for the cheapest price. Things gradually changed and in the early nineties I advised on the first European sports equipment standard: EN748, before working on the revision of the PAS standard (now BS8462) and the revision of the BS8462 to include 9v9 goals.
I am a recognised independent expert for the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN) and sit as a technical expert on CEN/TC 136 advising on manufacturing, safety and test methods for goals. Currently I am advising on the new European BSEN16579 safety standard.
We’ve done incredibly well at MH Goals to set up our new company and supply equipment to some fantastic customers and outstanding facilities, but there is always more to do! We aim to always be at the very forefront of this ever-changing industry, with not only new and innovative products but also the safest equipment on the market today.