Football Without Borders: The Global Game According to Justin Walley

Justin Walley, is an English football coach and administrator, former player, and published author, who has had a diverse and unconventional career in football, marked by international experiences and a focus on grassroots and alternative football organisations. His journey spans multiple countries and roles, with a particular emphasis on founding and developing teams in unique settings.

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Justin was Bournemouth University football captain in the early 90s before working at USA World Cup 94 on a fan project and two years later as the assistant director of Euro 96 for the city of Nottingham, where he met the likes of Eusebio and Stuart Pearce. The same year he passed his English FA coaching licence.

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In the early 2000s, Justin worked in journalism, including football journalism and to date has attended 6 world cups, 6 Euros, and 3 Copa Americas, many of these as a freelance journalist. His Instagram video live takeover for Sporf at the 2019 Copa America semi final between Argentina v Brazil, gained around 1 million views.

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In 2007, Walley co-founded Riga United FC in Latvia, initially managing the men’s team as assistant and coaching at the kids’ academy. By 2012, he established Riga United Ladies, achieving third place in Latvia’s women’s league, though limited resources prevented UEFA Champions League qualification. He also spent 3 years as general manager of the whole football club. Walley also coached AFK Aliance in Latvia’s Second League and volunteered with the Craig Bellamy Foundation in Sierra Leone, contributing to grassroots football development.

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Justin made around 70 appearances in the Latvian national league (tiers 3 & 4), made a substitute appearance for Matabeleland against the Chagos Islands, represented the Latvian National Journalist Team against Russia and Lithuania, and also played 45 minutes in the Northampton Town Legends Game in 2024.

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In 2018, he managed the Matabeleland team (Zimbabwe) for the CONIFA World Football Cup in London, introducing professional training methods and collaborating with Bruce Grobbelaar. He stepped down post-tournament due to the role’s voluntary nature. In 2020, Walley became CONIFA’s Coaching Development Director, focusing on raising coaching standards across 55+ member associations. By 2023, he transitioned to press and communications director for the Marshall Islands Soccer Federation, shifting from direct coaching to administrative roles. He is also now part of the Marshall Islands national team coaching staff, and has also coached in Uganda, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, where he currently lives.

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