Hampton & Richmond FC is delighted to announce the appointment of James Menday as the Club’s Chief of Staff to help support the professionalisation of all levels of the organisation and bring his passion for mentoring and personal development to all teams in the Club, particularly the academy and youth teams.

Jim has an extensive career which includes over 10 years operating at the tip of the spear of UK Special Forces, the SAS. During his time at The Regiment, amongst other things Jim was responsible for the famous SAS selection process which identifies and develops formidable recruits. Following his military career, Jim transitioned to the civilian world supporting executives, boardrooms and organisations reach their full potential. Jim spent years personally overseeing Chelsea FC’s security, travelling with the first team across the world whilst also training a range of civilians on how to survive and thrive in hostile environments and high stakes situations.

In his Club role, Jim will be responsible for mentoring and coaching all members of staff, including First Team players, to achieve their full potential. He will also deliver leadership and resilience courses working closely with our Academy to provide our students the necessary tools to develop a strong and adaptive mindset to thrive in life. Students will be able to join seminars, talks, and activities whilst acquiring invaluable knowledge directly from Jim. He will also support our upcoming mental health initiatives linked with Movember, leveraging his experience as an elite Special Forces leader, operator and hostage negotiator.

Fans will be able to meet and greet Jim at our upcoming matches as he will be overseeing all safety and security operations of the Club.

Jim said ‘I’m excited to join The Beavers and share my experiences to support the Club; I look forward to working with our staff, students, and supporters to develop a thriving, resilient and abuse free environment that fosters togetherness within our community. Personal development and coaching is a passion of mine and I share the Beaver’s vision that the Club can be a platform to deliver greater opportunities and development for youth in our community.’

Hampton & Richmond FC is a proud supporter of veterans and is dedicated to attracting and providing opportunities for the best talent coming from our Armed Forces.