Amid the unforgiving world of academy football, where dreams are made but more often broken, Marcia Lewis stands out as a rare constant: a voice of wisdom, calm and unflinching realism.
Shes the founder of No1Fan.club, a platform dedicated to supporting parents who are navigating the often opaque and high-pressure world of youth football. But if you ask her, shes still just a mum trying to help others through a journey shes living herself. That journey happens to include her son, Myles Lewis-Skelly, the Arsenal and England star tipped for a glittering future after a breakthrough season in 2024/25.
Of course Im proud, she smiles as she talks to FourFourTwo. But this isnt just about Myles. This is about all the parents out there who feel alone, confused or overwhelmed by the system. Theyre the reason No1Fan.club exists.
Myles Lewis Skelly's mum, Marcia, is now a FIFA-licensed agent - but not with the intention of representing players
Marcia, who previously worked for investment banks such as Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and UBS, did not set out to become a parental guru or a public speaker. But the deeper she got into the academy world with Myles, the more she realised how little support there was for parents.
The higher he climbed, the more complex it got, she recalls. Agents calling when he was 11. Conversations about contracts before he hit 16. All while trying to make sure he did his homework, stayed grounded and still enjoyed being a kid.
So she armed herself. I did a Masters in football business, she explains. Then I became a FIFA-licensed agent. The reason was not to represent players, but to understand the industry and help parents protect themselves. If we dont know what were walking into, were at the mercy of people who might not have our kids best interests at heart.
Her workshops, now part of the Premier Leagues life skills programme, are standing-room-only affairs.
The main objective of our live face-to-face events is to bring together a community of parents, she says. We have digital assets and online resources, but the thing I love most about what I do is talking to fellow parents, meeting them in person and sharing our experiences.
It can be a lonely journey in football, so imagine how helpful it is having people to talk to who are going through the same things. You can learn from shared experiences even minor things like, Is that really how much my son should be paying for car insurance?!.
Were there to support and guide, rather than dictate what people should do. Some elements will resonate and others might not.
Sessions like Finding the Right Agent are crammed with parents of under-12s and under-13s, a sign of how early the pressure begins.
Its wild, Marcia says. Some parents have agents approaching them when their kids are barely out of primary school. We teach them how to spot the red flags, ask the right questions and focus on relationships over transactions. Boots and cash should never buy access to your child.
Myles knows he's not alone
If that sounds blunt, its because Marcia doesnt sugar-coat. She talks candidly about the loneliness parents feel, the emotional fallout of kids being released from clubs and the fragile mental health of those who spend more time bench-warming than kicking a ball.
Myles has had a wonderful year, but this journey comes with real pressure, she says. One minute, youre in the first team. The next, a new signing arrives and youre back down the pecking order. If youre not mentally resilient and your family isnt prepared, it can knock you sideways.
For Myles, that resilience has been one of his defining traits. Fearless displays for Mikel Artetas Arsenal have earned praise from fans and pundits alike, but behind the scenes, its a family affair.
He has seen me work late nights studying, prepping workshops, doing interviews, Marcia says. He knows its all to create a better space for kids like him. But he also knows hes not alone. His dad, our wider circle, weve all had his back. He wants others to have that, too.
That solidarity is the driving force of No1Fan.clubs events, built around community as much as information. You can be part of a Premier League academy and, as a parent, still feel that youre isolated, she says. But when you hear from others whove been through it, it feels manageable.
One story that has stayed with her involves a teenage player who couldnt sleep because the host familys cat kept jumping into his bed at night.
He was too scared to say anything, but it affected his sleep, his training, his mental health, she says. These are the things people dont talk about. Marcia wants to change that, not just with live events, but with downloadable resources, workshops for coaches and eventually programmes in every academy in the country.
Were not here to bash football, she insists. But if the industry truly cares about player welfare, it has to care about the people behind the players, too the parents.
That clarity of mission has drawn interest (although not nearly enough funding) from across football from journalists and lawyers, to agents and clubs.
Not a single person Ive spoken to thinks this is a bad idea, she says. The ambition is growing. Digital resources are in the works, expanding No1Fan.clubs reach to the EFL, the grassroots and beyond.
We want to be everywhere, she says. Every family deserves to be informed, whether your kids at Arsenal or Colchester, or just loving Sunday League.
But even as her platform grows, Marcias message remains grounded. Life in sport is a fantastic thing, she says. It can enrich your life at any level. Theres so much focus on only playing at the higher level, but thats where the most disappointment is.
A player can be at a club for 10 years, only to find it hasnt worked out for them there. They want to carry on but can feel their life is a mess. Thats where we want to help change that mindset for families at the early stage. We aim to feed in more positive messaging.
We always tell parents, This is your childs journey, not yours, step back, let them lead; you cant teach them what to do on the pitch, but you can make sure theyre fed, rested and loved.
Its a message that Myles has clearly embraced.
Hes seen the work and he knows the value of it, Marcia says. Not just for him, but for the next generation.
So what would she say to a parent just starting out on the academy ladder? She pauses briefly.
Allow your child to flourish, she says. Prepare for ups and downs, and remember whether they play for England or theyre playing in non-league, football can still give them and you a beautiful life.
For more information, visit No1Fan.club
