WNS Analytics have been instrumental in the data analytics and development of the Howden Men’s European Football Injury Index, providing invaluable insights into player injuries across Europe’s top leagues. European football is complex behind the scenes, dealing directly with player injuries, their effects on team success, and financial consequences. The Howden Men’s European Football Injury Index, developed by WNS Analytics, demonstrated a significant leap forward in addressing these challenges.
The report created by WNS Analytics and Howden Group unveiled that injuries significantly affect team performance and league standings, with analysis highlighting a correlation between injury frequencies and the effectiveness of recovery strategies. Media outlets, including Bloomberg, Reuters, BBC, The Times and the Mirror, have widely covered the report, demonstrating its significance and impact on the sports industry, achieving nearly 1 billion in global reach.
Origins
The Howden report sought to dissect and quantify the effects of player injuries within the top five European leagues, aiming to illuminate the hidden costs and competitive disadvantages that injuries entail.
The aspects that set this endeavour apart and why it was considered Best Data Story or Data Visualisation is its innovative use of advanced data analytics and injury tracking technologies. Unlike traditional analyses that tally absences, this report delved into recovery timelines and financial burdens, offering stakeholders a multifaceted view of injuries’ repercussions.
The report was designed to serve multiple stakeholders with varying levels of data literacy and engagement – club management, medical staff, players, and fans. By disseminating insights through various platforms, such as workshops, direct consultations, and presentations, WNS Analytics and Howden Group equipped these stakeholders with knowledge to optimise player health strategies and refine team performance tactics. One of the immediate successes was that clubs found invaluable data to enhance their injury prevention and management frameworks, directly benefiting from the report’s findings.
Challenges and solutions
One of the major challenges faced when developing this report was the harmonisation of disparate injury data, characterised by varying reporting standards across different leagues. By creating a standardised series of metrics that assessed aspects such as injury severity and financial impacts, alongside leveraging partnerships for data integration, WNS Analytics and Howden Group was able to bring together traditionally non-aligned data.
Employing a multifaceted data collection methodology, the report harnessed information from league injury reports, player performance metrics, and cutting-edge wearable technology. Through descriptive and trend analysis, it provided an unprecedented lens into injury patterns, their severity, and consequent financial ramifications. This analytical rigor ensured that the report’s insights were not only accurate but also actionable.
The implications of the report are influencing both Howden’s strategic direction and the broader football industry’s perspective on player health. Clubs and insurers now have a blueprint for developing more effective injury insurance products and health management strategies.
The insights from the report will allow insurers to look at all injury patterns, compare them with similar scale clubs, and make informed decisions when underwriting the injury risk. As a risk prevention mechanism, it will pave the way for advancements in how injuries are prevented and managed. By advocating for ongoing research, the report aims to monitor changes in injury patterns over time and to assess the success of new prevention strategies. The inclusion of intuitive visuals like trend graphs, injury heat maps, and cost analysis charts has made the report’s sophisticated data digestible and engaging for a wide audience. These elements highlight the report’s analytical rigor and enhance its utility as a decision-making tool for stakeholders.
