A FORMER Hyde United player and manager has swapped football pitches for finance.
John McCombe made his name as a no-nonsense defender who ended his playing career at the Project Solar UK Stadium.
Now he is tacking issues of a different kind as he runs a successful financial planning firm.
And his time on the pitch is a big part of his approach to business.
After working alongside Dave McGurk, the Hyde United manager he was assistant to, in setting up a football academy, in 2020, John’s world stopped when his mum was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer and died just two weeks later.
At the same time, his dad faced life-saving lung surgery. And football, the game that was so much a part of John’s life, came to a standstill as the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
After spotting a gap in the soaring demand for home delivery, he and his brother Jamie, launched logistics firm JPM Logistics.
Starting with just one van, they grew to 60 and turning over £2.2 million.
“Football gave me the adrenaline,” said John. “And my parents taught me to work hard and look out for people, That’s never left me.
“I’d missed weddings and birthdays during my football career. I no longer wanted to miss my daughters’ school drop-offs, plays, and childhood moments. The demand for home delivery had soared, but I was exhausted.
“I needed a life we could enjoy as a family, not one dictated by work.
“Each chapter taught me something new. How to build, how to lead, and how to help others succeed.”
Today, John runs McCombe & Co Financial Planning, a partner practice of St James’s Place, the UK’s largest wealth management company.
Based in West Yorkshire, he works with business owners, professionals and families, helping them plan not just for their money, but for the life they want to live.
“It’s not just about investments or retirement pots,” John explained. “It’s about making sure the right money is in the right place at the right time.
“True financial planning is about relationships, understanding people, and coaching them to make good decisions for the long term.
“Football taught me discipline, business taught me resilience, and losing my mum and nearly my dad taught me what really matters in life.
“Now I help people plan for a future they’re excited about, not just one they can or can’t afford.”