A former Dundee and Arbroath footballer who set up his own business during the Covid-19 pandemic has been blown away by its success.
When goalkeeper Calum Brodie left school at 15 to join the academy of Dundee FC, he dreamed of making it in top-flight football.
His spell with the club he’d supported as a boy didn’t work out like Calum wanted.
A move to Arbroath followed in 2015/16 as Calum looked for regular games.
But that didn’t work out, either, with the youngster playing second fiddle to veteran Allan Fleming at Gayfield.
A change of scene for Dundee goalkeeper
Monifieith-born Calum decided to embark on a stint in America that took him to Mississippi, Minnesota and Louisiana.
In Mississippi, he had a lucky escape when a tornado lifted the car he was travelling in as it ripped through a Mississippi city.
While Stateside, he began coaching goalkeeping sessions to youngsters.
He returned home shortly before the Covid-19 pandemic hit to start a sports coaching degree at Abertay University.
It was then he thought about setting up his own business.
From strawberry picker to business owner
The 24-year-old explained how he went from picking strawberries to being his own boss.
“It was on my mind but I thought I’d do it once I finished university,” he said.
“When the Covid rules allowed for one-to-one coaching outside, I thought that was as good a chance as any to start something.
“I made a Facebook page and within two weeks, I had clients coming in for sessions.”
From the individual sessions, Calum has branched out to running summer schools and also works with 12 clubs across Tayside.
In March 2021 he won £1,200 from Scottish Institute for Enterprise (SIE) Fresh Ideas competition to help with the business.
His clients range from six-year-old children to a 59-year-old walking football goalkeeper.
Calum’s business is not just coaching sessions. He also sells a range of goalkeeper gloves.
“I found these were a real issue when I was growing up,” he said.
“You could pay £120 for the top brands, but what if they got damaged within a couple of weeks?
“I had a contact in Pakistan from my time in America and we struck up a relationship.
“Everything a goalie needs, we’ve got them covered.”
Plans for the future of BGK Goalkeeping
While Calum knew from his own personal experiences there was a gap in the market, he has been surprised at the success of his business.
“I knew there was an opportunity, but I didn’t expect it to go this well.
“There have been a lot of challenges. I had support from the E3 project with the businesss side of things, and that has been great.
“We’ve grown to a stage where we need to bring in more coaches.”
The company is also moving into new offices in Dundee – another thing Calum never thought possible when he started out on his business journey.
“It’s in partnership with Launch It Dundee – a young entrepreneur hub – so we’re based just behind the Wellgate.
“I never thought that would be possible at this stage.
“When I left Dundee, all I wanted to do was play football. But I’ve really enjoyed the business side of things.”
Conversation