Football Managers join new Leeds Manager on unique WBS Programme
Latest press releasesFor the third year running, current and potential football managers have signed up to join a unique Warwick Business School course. New Leeds Manager Kevin Blackwell, play-off finalist Keith Curle, Wales Under 21 manager Glyn Hodges, Manchester City Coach Stuart Pearce and Wycombe manager Tony Adams will all graduate this summer with a Certificate in Applied Management in Football. This course is designed to provide them with the business and personal management skills they will need for the increasingly fraught business of football management. As Stuart Pearce puts it "I appreciate that the most important thing is to get good results, but to me the bottom line is the more education you can give yourself, and the more preparation you can do, the less chance of failing. That's my philosophy."
Warwick Business School was commissioned by the Professional Footballers' Association, the League Managers' Association, the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League to provide a qualification to sit alongside the mandatory UEFA Pro Licence. It is designed to develop the management skills of footballers who are in or who want to take on football management roles.
The ten new managers beginning the course are:
Martin Allen - Manager Brentford
Kevin Ball - Coach Sunderland
Chris Hughton - Asst Manager, Tottenham Hotspur and Asst Manager Republic of Ireland
Stuart Murdoch - Manager Wimbledon
Iffy Onuora - player with Huddersfield Town
Neil Redfearn - Asst Manager Rochdale
Mark Robins - Sheffield Wednesday and previously Man Utd
Kit Symons - Asst Manager Crystal Palace
John Taylor - Manager Cambridge Utd until recently
Steve Tilson - Manager Southend
On Monday June 7th they begin their course at Warwick in the same week that the last intake of managers and players return to complete their final week of the Certificate course. The managers completing the course are:
Tony Adams - now Manager Wycombe Wanderers
Kevin Blackwell - just appointed Leeds Manager
Paul Brush - Asst Manager Southend
Keith Curle - Mansfield Manager
Glyn Hodges - now Wales Under 21 Manager
Kenny Jackett - now Manager of Swansea
Stuart Pearce - Coach Man City
Neil Thompson - Manager of Boston Utd until recently
Programme Director Dr Sue Bridgewater of Warwick Business School said "Since we began working with the LMA, PFA and FA in March 2002, the world of the football manager seems to have become even tougher. Finances are tighter than ever and that puts additional pressures on managers. If anything the media spotlight has intensified and the fans still expect success, right now, whatever pressures the club may be under.
"There is no one style of successful football manager. We are not trying to build a 'designer football manager', nor could we if we tried. It is crucial in today's environment, though, that football managers can motivate players on the pitch and have a toolkit of management skills to help them with all aspects of the job."
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 need high quality management training."
The League Managers' Association 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."
The Football Association's Robin Russell said "We want to create a cadre of excellent managers and coaches through the Certificate in Applied Management and the UEFA Pro Licence, and to professionalise football management."
Warwick Business School was commissioned by the Professional Footballers' Association, the League Managers' Association, the Football Association, the Premier League and the Football League to provide a qualification to sit alongside the mandatory UEFA Pro Licence. It is designed to develop the management skills of footballers who are in or who want to take on football management roles.
The ten new managers beginning the course are:
On Monday June 7th they begin their course at Warwick in the same week that the last intake of managers and players return to complete their final week of the Certificate course. The managers completing the course are:
Programme Director Dr Sue Bridgewater of Warwick Business School said "Since we began working with the LMA, PFA and FA in March 2002, the world of the football manager seems to have become even tougher. Finances are tighter than ever and that puts additional pressures on managers. If anything the media spotlight has intensified and the fans still expect success, right now, whatever pressures the club may be under.
"There is no one style of successful football manager. We are not trying to build a 'designer football manager', nor could we if we tried. It is crucial in today's environment, though, that football managers can motivate players on the pitch and have a toolkit of management skills to help them with all aspects of the job."
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 need high quality management training."
The League Managers' Association 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."
The Football Association's Robin Russell said "We want to create a cadre of excellent managers and coaches through the Certificate in Applied Management and the UEFA Pro Licence, and to professionalise football management."
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