Opta Forum: The event where clubs scout for data science talent Will Spearman, now Liverpool's Head of Research, presenting a the 2017. On Wednesday, the 14th edition will be held at The Mermaid in Blackfriars and more than 400 people from 100 clubs, federations and leagues will be there. This year’s practitioner theme was set by Mathieu Lacome, the Chief Performance and Analytics Officer at Parma in Italy