Ben Mawson has said that there is a “world of opportunity” for the clients of Tap23, as he celebrates the launch of the new sports management company.
Mawson, co-founder of Tap Music, co-founded Tap23 with Paul Dalglish, son of former Liverpool player and manager Kenny.
Tap23 promises to “set new standards in professional management” for footballers, with Kenny Dalglish also on board as founder client, ambassador and non-executive board member.
Football, fashion and music are increasingly intertwined and they all want a piece of each other
Ben Mawson, Tap23
“There can’t be a ‘one size fits all’ approach to managing athletes - we want to look after the person as much as the player, based on their specific needs,” said Mawson in a statement. “There is a world of opportunity off the pitch with footballers more attractive than ever to brands - football, fashion and music are increasingly intertwined and they all want a piece of each other.”
Mawson added: “That said there is too often a short term ‘cash grab’ mentality in football. The best opportunities come as the result of a long term strategy that fits with the individual’s personality and is done at the right time and in the right way. On the other hand, for some players it may be more about protection than elevation. There is a lot of pressure that comes with performing on the pitch, which combined with the toxicity of modern social media can be very tough to handle. We are there for our clients on a daily basis and will never grow too big that this becomes impossible”.
Co-founder Paul Dalglish said: “Football must come first as performance on the pitch determines almost everything that we can do for players. Having the highest coaching qualification available and spending my entire career in football in multiple different roles helps me understand the needs of the footballer of today and also the needs of the clubs. It also helps to provide individual coaching advice, performance analysis and career pathway planning.”
Dalglish noted that “the 'just stick to football' days are in the past”.
“Footballers are public figures and the complexity of their needs makes it impossible for one person to adequately offer expert advice across all relevant areas,” he said. “We have a team-based approach where the player doesn't have an agent acting alone - we have a management team of specialists. We want to do things differently by creating a unique personalised plan to help players achieve as much as they can on the pitch, whilst supporting them as individuals off it.”
Tap23 will work on player performance through coaching and development, while off the pitch the new company will help build players’ profiles through fan engagement and commercial collaborations.
The business launches with an established network across England, Scotland and Ireland. Pat Devlin heads up the Irish office, whilst in Scotland, agent Grant Smith joins with his roster of both established players such as Nathan Patterson (Everton and Scotland).
In terms of content and production, Tap23 already has a sports documentary in the works and is working with FIFA on their music licensing plans involving Tap Music’s client Gala.
The wider team includes experts in social media, PR, fashion and brands, as well as a lifestyle and concierge service and a charities/philanthropy consultant.
FOLLOW 
