UCFB: Providing a Pathway into a Career in Football Business
For anyone interested in forging a career in the world of football administration and business, there is now an exciting, new path to success. The University College of Football Business (UCFB) is offering a range of courses which are designed to give students the necessary skills in order to manage various aspects of the business side of football. Located in two state-of-the-art facilities in Turf Moor Stadium in Burnley and Wembley Stadium, the UCFB combines the history and heritage of football with the modern realities involved – creating a structured pathway into a multi-million-pound industry.
What Are the Courses of Offer?
Regardless of exactly which area of football business management students want to pursue, all courses begin with the same core module during the first year of study. This is aimed at giving them an introduction into how modern football clubs and commercial entities are managed. They will then be introduced to the various specialist subjects available, before being asked to choose the one they wish to study. Their second year will involve learning in detail about their chosen discipline, and the third and final year will be primarily devoted to a major research project and dissertation.
Most of the courses offered by the UCFB involve finance, marketing or the media, and they include American Sports Business Management, Sports and Community Management, Stadium and Events Management and Sports Psychology.
Burnley FC Blazing a Trail in Sports Education
At a time when the big clubs are getting richer, it is something of a surprise that a club with relatively modest means has become the UK’s first dedicated provider of football-related degrees. The quality of these courses, and how well they have been received throughout the football community, proves that Burnley FC is an ambitious and driven club. Recently promoted to the Premier League, this is a well run football club that manages its budget carefully. Their ‘football university’ provides them with another potential stream of revenue, and it gives ordinary people a unique opportunity to forge a career in the running of football clubs.
The first stage of the UCFB involved the opening of a 30,000 square-foot base at Burnley’s Turf Moor ground. There is space for up to 1,000 students in the facility, which includes classrooms that overlook the pitch. The take up of places has been overwhelming since the facility opened its doors in 2011, which has resulted in the announcement of a new halls-of-residence building. Located right at the heart of the Lancashire town, the halls will provide accommodation for up to 350 students, which should attract a more diverse pool of talent from all over Europe.
UCFB Wembley
The success of the original UCFB campus at Turf Moor has been overwhelming, and the addition of a new facility at Wembley Stadium promises to make it a truly international institution. The number of degrees available has been dramatically increased since the new campus was announced, and with Buckinghamshire New University on board, the facility already has the credibility it needs in order to grow.
UCFB Wembley plans to offer around 1,500 places on courses ranging from Sports Media to International Football Business. Students will have access to state-of-the-art training facilities at the home of football, including 60,000 square feet of classrooms, lecture theatres and meeting spaces. There is also to be a 350-seater refectory area, a dedicated sports management library and a fully equipped media suite.
Between 250 and 300 students will be accepted onto various courses in 2014, and that figure is expected to double next year. The board of the UCFB includes key figures in the game such as the FA’s Brian Barwick, former Labour Party press secretary Alastair Campbell and PFA chair Gordon Taylor, so there is no shortage of knowledge and experience right at the top of the organisation.
Many kids grow up dreaming of forging a career as a professional footballer, but only a tiny minority actually make the grade. For the rest, working in the administration and business side of the game is an exciting alternative, and this is why the UCFB could become one of the fastest growing educational establishments in the UK over the next decade.
For more information visit the UCFB website www.ucfb.com