Norrie Innes

Former professional footballer turned chartered civil engineer and entrepreneur, Norrie Innes, has combined his university education with a trademark on-pitch determination to transform some of the most historic areas in the UK.

In Glasgow, Norrie is known as the man behind Barras Art and Design (BAaD) - a multi-purpose venue offering events, food and entertainment spaces which have helped reinvigorate one of the oldest and most unique parts of the city, The Barras Market.

Norrie’s unique career path started with a pivotal decision he made during his 20s.

Several years into his football career spent playing for Hibernian, Motherwell and Clyde Football Clubs, Norrie decided to expand his future career options by studying civil engineering at Glasgow Caledonian.

“Failure sometimes presents opportunities and in dealing with this, we know, perseverance can be a great quality but, equally, having the courage to change and challenge yourself in other ways is a key part of life,” he said.

“It was definitely a period where I learned a great deal not just about football but about teamwork, how to deal with disappointment and how to try and direct what talents you felt you had - or others felt you had towards creating a fruitful future.”

Pursuing engineering at Glasgow College of Technology, one of Glasgow Caledonian’s founding colleges, changed Norrie’s life in more ways than one.

"I definitely established lifelong relationships at university - I left with a qualification eventually and with a wife and two brothers-in-law – where would I be just now if I hadn’t made that decision?” he said.

“My wife Annette was also studying engineering at the time - it’s a place that I cherish and respect greatly and I'm very thankful for the life lessons and educational foundation I gained in civil engineering that have served me very well throughout my whole life.”

Norrie’s path from GCU to transforming Glasgow

After his studies, Norrie’s drive and ambition led him to a role within JMP Consultants, managing projects within the civil engineering field - a far cry from his former football career.

"I'd always had this idea of making up for what I thought was lost time, and looking back now it wasn't lost time. I had a tenacious energy of trying to make progress and being a little impatient," he reflects.

His innovative approach quickly led to his chartership, choosing a management focus at time when  there was dominance of quantity surveyors and architects in project management.

"I did manage to get chartered fairly quickly and I think that allowed me to be confident and sure in terms of progressing my pathway,” he said.

Norrie then took the leap to establish his own civil engineering project construction business in 1993, embarking on a journey filled with complex, challenging and rewarding urban regeneration builds to transform formerly underused or neglected areas into thriving hubs.

One of the notable projects Norrie took part in was ‘Homes for the Future’ created for Glasgow’s 1999 Year of Architecture and Design

It brought together a group of architects, developers and planners to build 100 new homes on Glasgow Green to bring new life to a long-neglected part of the east end and serve as a model for affordable urban housing.

“I tend to move quickly to the next project after completing each one, it’s a bit like the natural cycle and dynamic of football games where you have your game and then immediately focus on the next one, but Homes for the Future was a remarkable project. We got planning permission in six weeks and construction was completed within 12 months,” he recalls.

Throughout his career, Norrie has also completed works at The Scottish Parliament building, delivered large urban regeneration projects across the UK from Nottingham to Cambridge and returned to his former club in 2017, completing a successful season, gaining promotion, as Clyde FC’s Chairman.

Reflecting on his life and career since making the decision to switch professions and pursue university study, the entrepreneur and father shared his advice for anyone looking to follow a similar path.

“Have the courage and conviction to pursue what you want to do,” Norrie said.

"Universities play an integral role in allowing people to learn and develop their future. Outside of that, I’d say always try and learn something external to the course and talk to someone that you think you're getting genuine, good advice from.

“Conversation is a powerful thing and you can usually learn something from someone that's been there, made mistakes and has had some success.”

"If there's anyone that's attached to Glasgow Caledonian University that wants any kind of guidance, mentorship a cup of tea and a chat, I’d encourage them to reach out to me or anyone  already established in their chosen field.”