Graham John Morgan

Performance Mentor

Graham Morgan is a serial innovator and transformative figure in the realms of football, education, and performance.

With a career spanning over five decades, Graham has consistently challenged convention and inspired progress through groundbreaking sports marketing at both grassroots and global levels.

His journey began in 1970 as an England Schoolboys U18 international, where a promising football career was unexpectedly halted due to a misdiagnosed injury. Undeterred, Graham pivoted toward a new path in sport and education, joining Borough Road College under the mentorship of the legendary Charles Lipton.

From 1974, Graham dedicated nine years to teaching physical education in Norwich schools, during which he earned his FA Full Badge and became the youngest ever FA Staff Coach at the age of 24. By 27, he was appointed coach of the England Schools U18 team (ESFA), further cementing his status as a rising force in coaching. Graham later founded the Association of Football Coaches and Teachers (AFCAT), which in effect was regarded as the English Football Coaches Association.

Graham’s pioneering spirit came to the fore during his tenure in Bradford, where he served as the UK’s first Football Development Officer. His commitment to community sport was recognised in 1989 when England Manager Sir Bobby Robson presented him with an FA award for excellence in grassroots football.

In 1989 Graham joined adidas, where he spent a decade crafting visionary grassroots programmes. Notably, he helped launch the now-iconic Predator boot through innovative campaigns that included signing a then-unknown David Beckham and The Schools Football initiative which raised over £1million for schools.

As adidas’ Head of Global Grassroots Football, he expanded these programmes to 68 countries and introduced grassroots football to a global stage at the 1998 FIFA World Cup in Paris. The adidas Football Parc attracted 1.3 million visitors—an unprecedented achievement that earned Graham a prestigious adidas Golden Shoe for his contributions to promoting the Predator..

In 2007, Graham turned his focus to health and social change, founding Evolve: Social Impact Company, with John Bishop. This multi-award-winning social enterprise is dedicated to mentoring disadvantaged children and improving their performance in schools. Through Evolve, they have impacted thousands of young lives across the UK, combining sport, wellness, and mentoring to create meaningful outcomes.

In 2018 Graham became the first student to graduate with the new MSc Degree in Health Mentoring - aged 66.

Never one to rest on his laurels, Graham is now embarking on an exciting new collaboration with renowned neuroscientist Dr. Michael Merzenich. Together, they are developing Footballing Brains, a cutting-edge initiative poised to revolutionise how footballers, coaches, and referees think, train, and perform—blending neuroscience and sport in an entirely new way.

With a legacy built on innovation, resilience, and a deep passion for nurturing human potential, Graham Morgan continues to shape the future of sport and education, one bold idea at a time