Former AFC Bournemouth Footballer Wes Fogden Welcomed as College Lecturer
A former AFC Bournemouth winger has turned lecturer of Sports in the college. Wes Fogden, known for his prowess on the field during 2011-2014, as a winger at AFC Bournemouth, is helping to create positive futures for his students.
Wes was recently asked by students what it’s like to previously be a full-time footballer, and said: “Some players take it all with a pinch of salt, others don’t relax until the end of the season. I was the 100 per cent all-out type. I squeezed as much as I could in as an athlete.”
Students in Wes’s classes – approximately 120 across six groups – are gifted to have his experience as a professional footballer and in keeping ambitions real and relevant. He said: “I like the idea of helping to plan careers – I’d like to see that my students may go on into roles in sport and jobwise earning enough to be a player or professional, if that’s what they want. There are many roles they can go into, also, including physios, strength and conditioning, dieticians, managers, scouts, asset managers, or officers.”
Wes has a long history as a professional footballer himself, signing at Bournemouth at 22 years of age, but before that, he went straight from school to Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. as a young player. He later signed three professional contracts, at 18, 19 and 20, before moving to AFC Bournemouth in 2011. He became semi-pro travelling to games across the sphere. He said: “Being professional is hard; I talk to my students about ‘chasing finances’. Transfer day is extremely important.”
Asked about working at the college, Wes commented: “It’s been intensive. And - the beginning of the academic year has been very full on. Over the summer, I’ve been doing administration and course and lesson planning, but once the students arrive, it’s virtually non-stop teaching. The weeks fly by! The students are great though – because they’re that bit older you can have a joke with them.”
Wes says he and the students enjoy the trips too. “We did a trip to Go Ape last year. The students do enjoy our sports trips. We sometimes go to the tennis courts in Boscombe Gardens and the volleyball nets on Boscombe beach. “
Wes unfortunately had to stop his professional footballing due to a knee injury, but that does not stop him from coaching others. He still plays for Dorchester Town FC and coaches there. He always supported Man United as a child, but says as he got older, this has changed and he liked elements of many teams at different times. He has always followed Bournemouth due to his time playing there, and regularly attends matches elsewhere in both his capacity as coach, and spectator.
Wes suggests that during his time as a lecturer at the college, he wants to implement more sports team experiences for students, including football, basketball and netball – which he is currently setting up. If you’re interested in studying sport at the college, please see the following link: https://www.thecollege.co.uk/college/study/subject-areas/sport-and-fitness.
