For Edinburgh City defender Josh Grigor, barbering had always been an interest, but like a lot of players looking for a route into the trade, he wasn’t sure how to get started.
“Barbering for me has always been something that’s interested me,” Grigor explains. “It’s a hard one to get into because a lot of the boys go and do an apprenticeship in a shop – but that takes years. Coming out of football, you want something you can go straight into a lot quicker. Doing the intensive course was a no-brainer.”
PFA Scotland’s Barbering course, delivered by Cut17 on Monday evenings, allows players the ability to train, play and earn while they learn practical skills. For Grigor, that flexibility was key.
“Being able to do it on a Monday night meant I could still work alongside it at the time, so I wasn’t losing earnings. Going through the course was great, and it fits in really well alongside the football.”
Like most beginners, Grigor admits the early weeks felt daunting. But the leap in ability, he says, came quicker than expected.
“You think it’s going to take forever to pick up the skills, and then within six weeks, two months, it all just comes together. It felt so alien to start with, and then you’re like, ‘you’ve picked it up so quickly.’ I’d still say there’s a long way to go to being perfect – I’m about eighteen months, two years in now and there’s still plenty to learn – but the basic skills don’t take long to get, and then it’s down to you and your own progress.”
Part of what eased the nerves, he says, was training alongside other players who were all starting from the same point.
“The first few weeks everyone felt a bit apprehensive, but it was a good environment – a bit like a football changing room, you can have a laugh. Everyone’s learning from beginner stage, so you learn together. It really does take you by surprise how quickly it comes together.”
Having previously worked in recruitment, Grigor found the structure of a nine-to-five hard to reconcile with football commitments. Barbering, by contrast, offered something footballers rarely get; control over their own diary.
“I’ve worked in other industries before, and nothing’s ever fitted quite well. In other jobs, you’re expected to work set hours, and that can sometimes be hard to fit around training and games. Barbering is incredibly flexible – you can be your own boss, essentially. It’s about rearranging your week, so it works for you and your clients.”
“It doesn’t feel like a job”
Beyond the practical fit, Grigor believes barbering offers longevity.
“It’s a career you’ve got for the rest of your life. If you learn a skill, you’re never going to lose it. I know boys who did the course, went travelling, and could use it wherever they went. It might not be something you do straight away, but once you’ve got the fundamentals, it’s there for whenever you need it – rather than starting from scratch the day football stops.”
Now working in a barbers in Edinburgh city centre, Grigor credits PFA Scotland’s support and the encouragement from others on the course, with giving him the push to sign up in the first place.
“That definitely pushed me to do it. It’s going into the unknown but doing it with people you already know from other clubs, and with the union behind you, gives you a lot more peace of mind than going in completely blind. Every question I had was answered straight away.”
Eighteen months on from finishing the course, Grigor now combines life as a professional footballer with regular days behind the chair, describing the two worlds as more alike than most would expect.
“You’re on your feet, you’re chatting away, having a laugh with your mates – it doesn’t really feel like work. It’s the same as football, you go into the changing room, you have a laugh. It really does feel like the two fit hand in hand.”
PFA Scotland’s Barbering course starts again in September. Delivered at Cut17 on Monday evenings, the course is open to members looking to build a new skill alongside their playing career.
