Dr Guy Wilkinson

I am a Lecturer in Sport based within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport. I graduated with an MMath & Statistics from the University of St Andrews in 2012. My interest in sport led me to pursue a PhD in Sport Management at the University of Michigan. Under the supervision of Professor Stefan Szymanski, I graduated in 2017 with a thesis researching econometric approaches to player productivity and performance in professional soccer. In 2018, I returned to Scotland and joined the University of Stirling as a Lecturer and contribute on both the Sport Management and Sport Studies programmes.

I am a member of the S3RG Research Group within the Faculty of Health Sciences and Sport with research interests in sports analytics, econometrics, sports policy, competition theory, and eSports.

I coordinate and deliver the module Research Methods for Sport (SPSP039) and Readings in Sports Studies (SPSU9R7). I also teach on other modules and supervise undergraduate and post-graduate dissertations.

My research includes statistical and economic analysis in sport. I measure performance variables in professional football to determine their influence on outcomes. I am also interested how aspects of the competition structure can influence performance at the individual player level. This has included the optimal spending distribution for teams, and the effect of fixture scheduling on performance. Some of my findings have been featured in the latest edition of the Soccernomics book. I also have experience with prediction modelling and have produced models for the Soccernomics website, predicting football results for 25 UEFA nations.

I also have an interest in eSports and have recently completed a project funding by the International Olympic Committee which investigated the support structures available for players to look after their mental and physical health.

Module co-ordinator:

SPSU9ME (Research Methods in Sports Studies)

Module contributions:

SPSU813 (Understanding Global Sport)

SPSU8FM (Foundations of Sport Management)

SPSU9PP (Sport Professional Practice)

SPSP039 (Research Methods for Sport)

SPSP053 (Research Project)

SPSU9RP (Major Project in Sports Studies)