“I’m not going to do the things that made me unhappy as a player”: Kenny Lowe on The Football Coaching Life

Avatar
Kenny Lowe FCA

How do you become a good coach? “Go and do your badges and go and spend 10 years on the grass… and try not to be sacked too often!” Wonderful pearls of wisdom from Kenny Lowe.

This conversation is a wonderfully open look inside of Kenny’s football coaching journey and the significant people and moments in it that have contributed to the wisdom he has gained along the way.

Kenny is currently the Director of Football at ECU Joondalup in the Football West NPL where he coaches the first team and the juniors. This is in his spare time as he is the Principal Mechanical Engineer for Wood.

He played for 10 clubs in his 300 plus, professional and semi-professional career in the UK, before reluctantly accepting the role of Manager at Gateshead, where his love for coaching and player development began.

After moving to Australia in the early 2003, Kenny worked with the Football West National Training Centre program and became an assistant coach to Dave Mitchell, Ian Ferguson and Alistair Edwards at Perth Glory in the A-League. In 2013 he took on the Head Coach role and is still the longest serving Perth Glory Manager after five years in charge.

Kenny speaks openly about his journey and learnings he has had along the way. He also speaks highly of his fellow coaches and the way they have reached out along his journey. He was blown away when Graham Arnold invited him to be his Assistant with the Socceroos for the 2019 Asia Cup in the UAE.

Kenny’s son Rory is a Comedian and we’re guessing he gets this from his dad!

Please join us in sharing Kenny Lowe’s Football Coaching Life.

Previous ArticleNext Article

FCA to Host Elite Goalkeeping Workshop with FA Goalkeeper Instructor Neil Tate

Avatar
Image Credit: Fotokostic / Shutterstock.com

Football Coaches Australia (FCA) will continue its strong run of coach education events on Monday 18 May with a specialised session led by highly respected FA Goalkeeper Instructor Neil Tate.

Titled “Developing Goalkeepers to Fit the Team Playing Style,” the workshop will explore one of the modern game’s most important tactical evolutions: the goalkeeper as an active component of a team’s overall identity and playing philosophy.

Elite football is increasingly demanding goalkeepers who can influence build-up play, transitions, defensive structure and decision-making under pressure. Tate’s session is designed to help coaches better understand how goalkeeper development must align with a team’s tactical framework.

Tate brings significant high-performance experience to the session through his role as an FA Goalkeeper Instructor. He has worked extensively in coach development and modern goalkeeping methodology. His expertise spans the technical, tactical and psychological demands placed on goalkeepers within elite football environments.

The session will break down the goalkeeper attributes required across differing systems and styles, including possession-based football and counter-attacking models, while providing practical examples from the modern game.

Coaches attending the workshop will gain insights into:

  • Goalkeeping attributes required in different tactical systems
  • Real-world examples of goalkeepers fitting team playing styles
  • Goalkeeper-specific practices to develop modern skill sets
  • Team training exercises integrating goalkeepers into tactical frameworks
  • Downloadable PDF session plans for practical implementation

The workshop follows FCA’s recent HEADSAFE education session, which attracted more than 140 coaches from across the Australian football landscape, highlighting the growing appetite for high-level coach education and professional development opportunities.

As the game continues to evolve tactically, FCA remains committed to providing coaches with access to industry-leading expertise and contemporary football knowledge.

The session will take place online on Monday 18 May at 7:30pm Melbourne time. You can sign up here.

New ‘Unfiltered’ Episode with Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz

Avatar
Image Credit: One-Nil Media

The ‘Unfiltered’ podcast by Soccerscene promises honest, thought-provoking conversations about football culture, identity and the stories fans don’t usually hear in mainstream coverage.

In the latest episode, Mihaila Kilibarda sits down with passionate councillors Paul Klisaris and Oscar Yildiz to debate the role of policy in shaping infrastructure, career opportunities and on-field success in the Australian football landscape.

From exposing flaws in policy making, to critiquing the A-League, Paul and Oscar discuss the future trajectory of football in Australia. With strong views on the disconnect between decision-makers and grassroots communities, this is an unfiltered look at the issues holding the sport back—and the urgent need for change.

“Bring back Preston, bring back South Melbourne, bring back that culture into the game. There was nothing wrong with that. Bring it back. Regulate it better, police it better, like they have in Europe. There is rivalry and that’s healthy!” says Paul Klisaris in this episode.

Oscar Yildiz agreed that “We might need to throw a bomb. There is no incentive for clubs to aspire to. You know, you can finish last and still stay in the league. They need to have people from state, from federal, people, again, who know the game, who genuinely know the game. And, it means understanding the politics around the game.”

Listeners can expect Unfiltered to go beyond match reports and transfers. Each episode will dive into the ideas, people and cultural forces that make football one of the world’s most compelling sports. Episode 2 is available now, hoping to challenge, entertain and inspire.

Listen now on Spotify: 

With Unfiltered, Soccerscene is giving fans a space to think, feel and debate about the game they love. Further, it is encouraging conversations that are as engaging as the football itself.

Stay tuned for future episodes, featuring more voices shaping the beautiful game.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend