In an industry where winning is often everything, Gavin Makel would just as soon be regarded as a trailblazer and a pioneer.
Manchester City's managing director of women’s football is on a mission with his team to grow the game globally and to introduce standards and strategies that will accelerate that ambition.
Makel, 41, spent his formative years between football pitches and acting studios, alternately rubbing shoulders with future England internationals Paul Gascoigne and Alan Shearer and performing alongside future global movie stars Andy Serkis and UK TV legends Ant and Dec.
Little did he know when he was watching his brother Lee play for Newcastle United, training with three teams and starring in a popular national TV show called Byker Grove, that he would eventually follow a path that would lead him to Abu Dhabi - he helped set up City’s soccer schools - to teaching English as a foreign language, to his coaching badges and, finally, a seat at the top table of the embryonic women’s professional game.
Makel’s story is the ultimate ground-to-top-floor story - and he believes it would have been most unlikely to have happened anywhere but Manchester City.
“That is one of the great things about this club: they are willing to give people a chance. I had never dealt with a player contract or agent before I applied for the job but they saw something in me and put real trust in me. I was allowed to grow in the role. Many of us back then were starting from virtually scratch in the women’s game, including Nick Cushing the manager.
“The great thing was we got some very experienced and talented players in from the start and we all helped one another.
“We couldn’t, as a team or individuals, be where we are now if we didn’t have the support from the chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak and the board. They have always had a vision to be successful. They see where opportunities to grow the game lie and the support we have had is tremendous.
“We have normalised the integration of the women’s team into the day to day of the football club. There is just football.”
The initial trench of experienced players included England internationals Steph Houghton, Jill Scott, Tony Duggan and Karen Bardsley. They all took a leap of faith and became the spine of the new team and helped lay down the building blocks for the club.
Houghton, Scott and Bardsley, who have in excess of 350 England caps between them, have been integral to City's success, helping the club to a Women’s Super League title, three League Cups and three FA Cups. Just as importantly, they have changed perceptions.
“Seven years ago there was no other women’s team doing what we were doing in terms of integrating the side into a Football Academy alongside the men’s first team and the junior players and also providing them with their own stadium. It certainly helped sell the dream,” says Makel.
“People saw what we were doing as a club and knew we weren't just ticking boxes but had serious ambition for our women’s team.”
Now Makel and his backroom team have aspirations to ensure the game’s recent gains in the public consciousness are not wasted and are used for broadening its appeal and playing pool.
The women’s game has traditionally gone through peaks and troughs but not yet enjoyed the stratospheric, global growth its supporters have been hoping for.
A new broadcast deal for the WSL in England could help change that with over 50 live games planned this season, with around a third of them free-to-air on the state broadcaster the BBC.
“Sponsorship should follow,” reckons Makel. “Already businesses are coming to us and we are not having to knock their doors down. Big name brands are becoming more interested in the women’s game. They want to be part of what is going on.
“Now consistency is key in terms of fixtures - we can’t go through spells of having one home game in a month as has happened in the past.
“We also have got to be careful that women’s football doesn’t become an Olympic sport, and I don’t mean that in a disparaging way to Olympic sports, I just mean that it only becomes interesting in the wider domain just for that period of time every four years.”
Player burnout is a concern. City had 14 players take part in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and, as a result, opted against a pre-season programme.
The future schedule shows no let up either. The delayed European Championship takes place next summer, before the 2023 Fifa World Cup followed by the Paris 2024 Games.
“Women players have never experienced that level of intensity of training over such a sustained period of time," says Makel. "The matches and the travel too. Added to that the game itself is quicker and more intense than it was eight or 10 years ago.
“We need to make sure we are monitoring and researching that. We also have to look after the mental health aspect and do a lot of work about careers post playing.
“We are doing lots of research as a club on these topics along with the effects of the menstrual cycle and its impact on performance. Those results will be pioneering and help everyone. We also have to put more resources as a sport into the science of football and use more data to drive decisions.”
Makel also feels there is more to be done on academy structures and scholarships so girls can plan a career. He wants more of them playing football so there are enough top players to support the expansion of the women’s game world wide.
He delights in the fact that young girl supporters are now able to pull on a replica shirt with their favourite female player’s name on the back and, more importantly, have a viable dream to one day be a professional footballer. That’s a powerful message, he argues.
If he has a fear it is that women’s football may be growing too quickly with resources stretched trying to professionalise the league. As well as upscaling commercial growth, media, academies and coaching expertise, Makel says sports science, medicine and supporter services are all areas that need improvement.
Amongst all the change and maturation of women’s football there is one thing that Makel wants Manchester City and its staff not to lose sight of. It’s non negotiable in his mind.
“Whether we win or lose I want us to be considered pioneers,” he says. “How we market our players, how we market the club and speak about it. How we respect the game. How we develop young players. How we treat players post playing career.
“I want us to continue and step up research into the female body and the impact on performance. When people all over the world are thinking about women’s football and women’s sport in general I want Manchester City to be considered a benchmark. That for me is success.
“We should always be thinking of the next pioneering step. That’s how I judge success alongside winning games.”
Tuesday's fixtures
Kyrgyzstan v Qatar, 5.45pm
The specs
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On sale: now
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
Stuck in a job without a pay rise? Here's what to do
Chris Greaves, the managing director of Hays Gulf Region, says those without a pay rise for an extended period must start asking questions – both of themselves and their employer.
“First, are they happy with that or do they want more?” he says. “Job-seeking is a time-consuming, frustrating and long-winded affair so are they prepared to put themselves through that rigmarole? Before they consider that, they must ask their employer what is happening.”
Most employees bring up pay rise queries at their annual performance appraisal and find out what the company has in store for them from a career perspective.
Those with no formal appraisal system, Mr Greaves says, should ask HR or their line manager for an assessment.
“You want to find out how they value your contribution and where your job could go,” he says. “You’ve got to be brave enough to ask some questions and if you don’t like the answers then you have to develop a strategy or change jobs if you are prepared to go through the job-seeking process.”
For those that do reach the salary negotiation with their current employer, Mr Greaves says there is no point in asking for less than 5 per cent.
“However, this can only really have any chance of success if you can identify where you add value to the business (preferably you can put a monetary value on it), or you can point to a sustained contribution above the call of duty or to other achievements you think your employer will value.”
Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
