Advisory Board

The SMPA Advisory board is an important driver of the association. Members elected to the board come from across the disciplines, across all sports.

The aim of the advisory board is to advise and guide the association from the perspective of those practitioners working at the coal face of any professional sport. The role of the board is pivotal and members are instrumental in shaping the future of the medicine and performance sector in professional sport.

Tom Baker
Tom Baker

Currently running Forward Physiotherapy based in Yorkshire and working for an international football academy. My previous experience as a physio is, Leeds United, Head of Medical at Yorkshire County Cricket Club, Head of Medical at Bradford Bulls RL, Lead physio at Leeds Rhinos Netball, Yorkshire Diamonds Cricket and various private MSK roles. I qualified from Bradford University following being a professional cricketer for Yorkshire CCC and Northamptonshire CCC.

David Cooper
David Cooper

I’m a Chartered Physiotherapist, graduating from the University of Salford; and Sports Therapist, graduating from Edge Hill University. My current role is Lead Physiotherapist at Hull KR in the Betfred Super League. The bulk of my previous experience is working within rugby league, having previously been Head Physiotherapist at Wakefield Trinity during a 9 year stint at the club, which included working with the Fiji National Rugby League squad during the Rugby League World Cup. Previous to this my background was in football, combining my roles working with Bolton Wanderers and the England Amputee Football Squad.

Ian Horsley
Professor Ian Horsley PhD, MSc, MCSP, CSCS

I have been a Chartered Physiotherapist for over 30 years working as a physiotherapist for England Rugby Union, for 14 years, in with various teams, and spent the last 6 of those years working with the Elite Playing squad, as physiotherapist to England ‘A’. Currently I am an Athlete Health Lead Physiotherapist responsible for Upper Limb and Respiratory Health for the for the UK Sports Institute , Clinical Director of Back In Action Rehabilitation, in Wakefield, Honorary Professor at the University of Salford, and member of the Executive for European Society of Shoulder and Elbow Rehabilitation , the Council for the British Elbow and Shoulder Society.

I worked as part of the HQ medical team for Team England at the 2010 and 2014
Commonwealth Games, was a member of the Team GB HQ medical team at the 2012,2016 and 2020 Olympic Games. And previously worked as a Consultant Physiotherapist to England Football.

Dr Julian Chakraverty, Consultant Musculoskeletal & Sports Radiologist

Fellowship trained Consultant Musculoskeletal & Sports Radiologist. Special interests – Sports injury imaging and interventional pain management.

Provides specialist MSK radiology and intervention services to professional football, premiership rugby union and county cricket clubs, including the UK Sports Institute. Lead Doctor for Bath Rugby & provider of medical support to the men’s first team at Bristol City Football Club.

Qualified in both medicine and osteopathy. Has a Postgraduate Diploma in Sports & Exercise Medicine (distinction award).

Published extensively in the radiology, orthopaedic, sports medicine and osteopathic literature.

Pete McKnight
Pete McKnight, Performance Director, Hintsa

Pete is the Performance Director of Hintsa Sport, where he looks after contracts, business growth, and oversees a team of coaches and practitioners. His background is as a Strength and Conditioning Coach and Head of Performance with professional and Olympic athletes for over 2 decades. During his career, Pete has worked with Formula 1 drivers, alpine skiers in France, track & field athletes, rowers, swimmers, cricketers and footballers across Europe, as well as athletes in India and other parts of Asia, just to name a few.

Pete’s educational background is in Physics and Sports Science, with a research focus on the physiological and psychological characteristics of motorsports drivers. Pete was previously the Chairman of the UKSCA and has sat on different boards of directors and leadership teams. He is currently on the Advisory Board for three Sports Tech start-ups, namely, Rewire, Hytro and Remaker and also on a Concussion Advisory Panel for the Rugby Football League (RFL). His interests lie in combining his passion for sport with business, performance leadership and public speaking, and spending time with his wife and three boys.

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