12 education & business
Football scores a first-class career opportunity
Did you know that the business of football is worth more than £10 billion a year to the British economy? Or that the tax bill for the 20 Premier League clubs alone contributes over £1b to the Treasury every 12 months? Impressive figures indeed and there’s little doubt football is a growing industry on a worldwide scale.
With its elite sport and exercise science facilities, its partnership with Southampton Football Club and its reputation as a leading centre for the academic study of football, Southampton Solent University is clearly in a league of its own. Alison Dewar of The Business Magazine found out more
“We’re serious about the business of football,“ says Dr Richard Elliott, associate professor and director of the University’s Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research, who is passionate about the game and the career opportunities available for both undergraduates and those already involved in the sport.
The University offers two three- year degree courses, a BA (Hons) Football Studies and Business, and a BA (Hons) Football Studies, both of which are full time. Not only do the courses cover areas such as coaching, football development and research, but they also deliver units such as finance, management, sport psychology, sociology, sales and marketing, and the economics of sport.
Excellent links with organisations including the Football Association, the Premier League, League Managers Association and many professional clubs mean that a significant proportion of students go on to work-based learning, internships and full-time employment with professional clubs; including Southampton, Chelsea, West Ham, Newcastle United and, further afield, Spartak Moscow, and Sharjah in Dubai.
There is also a Certificate in Professional Football Management and Administration aimed at those who already work in the industry.
“Previously, people have viewed football as nothing more than a game but the reality is that football is now a global multi- billion pound industry with England at the epicentre,“ said Dr
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Southampton Football Club were cemented still further when the Saints announced Southampton Solent as its official university partner.
The University’s sport science staff and students work closely with the players, monitoring fitness levels, training and match preparation, with results from players’ efforts in the University’s sports science laboratories directly impacting on training plans.
Mo Gimpel, Saint’s sports medicine and science manager, has described the process as “invaluable“ and recognising the talent at Solent, the Barclays Premier League side recently recruited two sport science graduates who are playing key roles at the Club.
The University’s physiology laboratory is so well thought of within the profession that it has just been recognised as one of the UK’s leading sport and exercise science facilities, joining an elite group that includes Manchester United Football Club.
It has
been awarded official British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accreditation, illustrating the high level of professional standards that are being met.
Saints players Adam Lallana (left) and Ricky Lambert (right) undergoing pre-season tests in the University’s sports science laboratories
Elliott. “It contributes far more to the economy than many people realise and it also has a huge social and cultural influence on public life.
“Football has had to professionalise on and off the pitch and as a result the industry requires professionals who can work in a variety of roles, people who have the skills and abilities to drive forward the very significant investment that there has been in the game.
“Our courses provide graduates with the opportunity to be at the very forefront of football development. We are very fortunate to work with a number of high-profile organisations and
we’ve shown that it is possible to be a world leader in terms of the work we do.“
He makes the point that the diversity of the skills and range of different disciplines on the courses don’t limit students to a career in football and says they are equally valuable across a variety of mainstream business operations. Many students have gone on to work in other sports, including rugby, golf and cricket, as well as pursing sports-related opportunities in sectors such as retail and merchandising, marketing and promotions.
Earlier this year, the already strong links with
THE BUSINESS MAGAZINE – SOLENT & SOUTH CENTRAL – NOVEMBER 2013
Further underlining its football- related credentials, the University is also home to one of the industry’s leading research and consultancy centres, the Lawrie McMenemy Centre for Football Research.
It enjoys excellent links with the Football Association, the Premier League and the League Managers Association and is widely recognised as a world- class centre of excellence. The Centre’s pioneering research has already resulted in at least one major rule change within the Premier League and current projects could have a demonstrable impact on the game world-wide.
Details:
www.solent.ac.uk
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