Warwick Business School to Turn Football Stars into Future Football Managers
Latest press releasesToday's football stars are to train to be future football managers at Warwick Business School (WBS), part of the University of Warwick. WBS has been commissioned by The Footballers' Further Education & Vocational Training Society Ltd (a body funded by The Professional Footballers Association), the FA Premier League, the Football League, the FA and The League Managers Association to provide a training programme to develop the management skills of footballers who want to move into club management positions. Completion of the programme will lead to the University of Warwick Certificate in Applied Management.
WBS is marking the first day of the new programme with a special press event at 10am Friday 17th May at their £7million new building (Scarman Road), when press will have an opportunity to talk to the first members on the course.
Programme Director Andrew Hardwick said: "We are excited about this venture, which comes in a season in which many managers have lost their jobs. These people are great footballers. They can already access training and support in coaching skills but our programme will provide them with the expertise in management and business that they will need to succeed as football managers."
This need for business training is backed by recent research by WBS's Dr Susan Bridgewater, which confirms the stresses on managers and the benefits of more formal business training. In an industry that has a high public profile, commercial sponsorship considerations and international business operations, it is imperative that managers can complement football experience with leading edge management skills and understanding.
PFA Chief executive Gordon Taylor said "The role of the modern football club manager has changed considerably...the high profile nature of the industry now requires that players considering a career in football management will need high quality management training."
LMA Chief Executive John Barnwell, believes that players appointed to run clubs need time to develop a good understanding of the pressures involved in management. He said: "It is extremely difficult to make this move without formal training and not one which I would recommend. All future managers should have advanced coaching licences and go through this management course to prepare them for a very difficult profession."
Football Association Technical Director Howard Wilkinson said: "Football is investing heavily in coaching and playing skills so that we can match the rest of the world. We are looking to take management skills into the boardroom and bootroom to create a similar revolution."
WBS is marking the first day of the new programme with a special press event at 10am Friday 17th May at their £7million new building (Scarman Road), when press will have an opportunity to talk to the first members on the course.
Programme Director Andrew Hardwick said: "We are excited about this venture, which comes in a season in which many managers have lost their jobs. These people are great footballers. They can already access training and support in coaching skills but our programme will provide them with the expertise in management and business that they will need to succeed as football managers."
This need for business training is backed by recent research by WBS's Dr Susan Bridgewater, which confirms the stresses on managers and the benefits of more formal business training. In an industry that has a high public profile, commercial sponsorship considerations and international business operations, it is imperative that managers can complement football experience with leading edge management skills and understanding.
PFA Chief executive Gordon Taylor said "The role of the modern football club manager has changed considerably...the high profile nature of the industry now requires that players considering a career in football management will need high quality management training."
LMA Chief Executive John Barnwell, believes that players appointed to run clubs need time to develop a good understanding of the pressures involved in management. He said: "It is extremely difficult to make this move without formal training and not one which I would recommend. All future managers should have advanced coaching licences and go through this management course to prepare them for a very difficult profession."
Football Association Technical Director Howard Wilkinson said: "Football is investing heavily in coaching and playing skills so that we can match the rest of the world. We are looking to take management skills into the boardroom and bootroom to create a similar revolution."
One of Europe's largest business schools and the largest department of the highly-rated University of Warwick, WBS is fully accredited.
Our teaching is rated excellent and 75 percent of our research is rated at 3* and above, placing us 3rd in the UK.
Over 8,000 students from 130 countries currently study here.
Their interaction with top faculty creates a multicultural learning environment, enhanced by outstanding teaching and study facilities and a top-quality campus.
Our teaching covers the full range of business education, from undergraduate and masters degrees to the Warwick MBA, doctoral research, and executive education.