About Us
The Field of Play Sports Data Conference 2025 grew from conversations taking place at PyDataMCR, the hub for Manchester's thriving data science community since 2018. We recognised that while there are a couple of UK sports data analytics conferences, they are primarily vehicles for advertising, can be expensive and insular and almost exclusively about football. Manchester, with its rich sporting heritage, history of innovation and thriving tech community is the perfect place to do something different and worth a day out of the office - and that’s what we will offer, this year and in all future editions.
Our Values
Field of Play is a trading name of PyDataMCR.
As such we embody a lot of the same values as PyDataMCR:
​We will:
-
Provide an inclusive and welcoming environment to people from all backgrounds
-
Strive to make sports analytics a more collaborative and open environment
-
Promote open source technologies​ where possible
-
Provide educational resources around best practices​
-
Be community-led, and give back to the community
The Organisers
John Carney
John is the Director of PDFTA Ltd a Machine Learning Consultancy. Having worked across many industries, and with organisations of all sizes, John specialises in realising value for organisations by delivering ML Products.
​
John has been an organiser of PyDataMCR since its founding in 2018, and has been the PyData London conference chair since 2024.​
Dominic Jordan
Dominic is the Chief Data Officer at Twelve Football, an innovative leader in football analytics. With a background that spans from being Manchester United’s first Director of Data Science to roles in FTSE250 fashion brands and U.S. tech startups, he brings extensive experience in data strategy across diverse industries. Dominic specialises in using data to drive smarter decision-making, with a particular focus on helping organisations navigate an increasingly data-rich world. His work combines technical expertise with strategic insight, helping people and teams unlock their full potential by bringing data into expert processes.
Bola Ajenifuja
Bola is a data scientist at DWP Digital with 3 years of experience of doing advanced analytics in the public sector.
Bola is also deeply involved in community building in and out of work and has worked as an organiser for DWP Women in Data, PyData MCR and served as a mentor for youths.
​
Friso Van Hemert
Friso is a Process & Data Analyst at Dutch Railways, where he designs and creates insights that help everyday operations work smarter and more efficiently.Beyond his analytical work, Friso is deeply engaged in community and organisational development. He serves as a Board Member of Scouting Nederland.He is also the founder of DataBella. DataBella helps SMEs transform operational complexity into clarity, insight, and actionable decision-making.
Anja Stein
Anja is a Research Data Scientist at Dunnhumby with two years of experience in the retail sector, leveraging a strong foundation in statistics and operational research. She is an organiser of the PyData MCR community, where professionals can network and share knowledge, tools, and best practices in the data space. With a commitment to continuous learning and exploration, Anja is excited to apply cutting-edge techniques to create value in real-world applications.
Grace Wilding
Grace is a data engineer at Menzies with a background in data science and data analytics, having worked in a range of industries from retail to the public sector. She aims to bring her personal work in activism to her work in tech, especially AI, and has been an organiser of Pydata MCR since 2024.
Andrew Lujan
Andrew is a data analyst with 3 years of experience supporting financial and operational reporting in the entertainment industry. Andrew is passionate about data in sport and this is his first year supporting Field of Play.