Gareth Thomas

Founder & Director

Gareth is a Graduate Sports Therapist who graduated from Edge Hill University in 2009 with a BSc 1st class honours degree. He also completed his MSc in 2014 from Leeds Beckett University where he published his thesis on a rare knee condition.

He started his journey in professional football at Morecambe FC, joining as Academy Therapist on 2009 before being promotes to work with the first team as First Team Sports Therapist. Gareth left Morecambe in 2019 after 10 years to focus on building the clinic business and to spend more time with his young family.

In July 2020 he was persuaded to return to football as Head of Medical at AFC Fylde by the great Jim Bentley. Gareth left Fylde in August 2022 in order to focus on family and developing Scholars Therapies into the best lower limb rehabilitation centre in the northwest.

Since leaving Fylde Gareth has gone on to consult for several football clubs, including some Premier League football teams. At Scholars we also provide return to play testing for sports teams based in the northwest. Gareth currently focuses on the ACL and long term lower limb rehabilitation currently seeing 50-60 ACL patients per week.

Kat

Upper Limb & Shoulder Specialist

Since qualifying in 1993 I started my career in Cumbria completing the various rotational specialities in physiotherapy for a couple of years before moving to North Tyneside to specialise in the area of musculoskeletal looking at all joints and muscles in the body. In 2002 I moved to Manchester to work at Salford Royal Hospital and began my journey into the realm of shoulders and from then my passion for this particular joint grew and continues to grow, my curiosity never truly satisfied. For me shoulders are the never-ending puzzle each one unique with it’s own demands and needs. I have been fortunate to work in many environments along side my NHS work including in the private sector and was co- founder of the Manchester Shoulder Clinic along with Professor Len Funk. This opened opportunities to work as a Specialist Shoulder Physiotherapist providing advice, support, 2nd opinions and treatment for people with shoulder problems ranging from professional musicians, professional athletes to weekend warriors and anyone simply struggling with tasks of everyday living. I have liaised with physios in sports team including premier league football teams, premiership Rugby Union and Rugby League teams, academy football players, professional boxers, swimmers, pro-golf and many more.

Working with Professor Funk I developed the first edition post op shoulder protocols for his website www.shoulderdoc.co.uk and the early editions of the Post Op shoulder information booklet. In 2004 I was awarded the BESS (British Elbow and Shoulder Society) Fellowship for Allied Health Professionals allowing me to spend time at the centres of excellence within the United Kingdom learning and sharing all things shoulder from the experts.

I have been a guest lecturer at a number of conferences both throughout the UK and abroad including FA Medical Conference in Daventry 2010, and several Indian International Shoulder Conferences in Bangalore, Continental Team Physician Course Israel 2006 to name but a few. I have provided many training sessions for medical students, orthopaedic registrars, physiotherapists and have been Honorary Lecturer at Salford University delivering Upper Limb Post Graduate Masters course alongside Upper Limb Orthopaedic Surgeons. I left the private sector to focus on family before joining Gareth at Scholars Therapies in 2025.

Callum

Physiotherapist

Natassia

Sports Therapist

After graduating from Edge Hill University in July 2021 with a BSc with Honours in Sports Therapy, Natassia secured an internship at AFC Fylde Football Club. At the club she worked as a Sports Therapist within the medical department with the First Team squad under the guidance of Gareth. After a month of the internship Natassia was offered an opportunity by Gareth to work within his physiotherapy clinic: Scholars Therapies.

Since then Natassia has continued her work at AFC Fylde and secured a paid role as the official Junior Sports Therapist alongside her regular clinic evenings at Scholars Therapies. At this stage in Natassia’s career she enjoy’s the variety of issues that are brought into the clinic as it offers the opportunities to apply herself and expand her experience. Natassia area of expertise after 2 years of experience, would be providing elite level soft tissue to professional athletes.

Natassia has recently left football to increase her clinic hours and to complete an MSc in Physiotherapy

Dave

Senior Physiotherapist