UCFB News

By Riegan Thompson

Football is a global industry that provides jobs on and off the field. Players nearing the end of their careers are faced with the difficult task of what to do once they retire. Many decide to venture into management or coaching, but with the explosion of television coverage many former pros now take up roles in the media.

Jamie Carragher is one of England’s most successful players. A rare one club man, ‘Carra’ won 11 major honours in...

The world’s best athletes will descend on London this summer for the world para and athletic championships.

The Olympic Stadium in east London will be the venue once again, five years on from the unforgettable 2012 Olympic Games.

Hundreds of thousands of spectators will flock to the stadium to see the world’s fastest man Usain Bolt one final time before he retires, as well as get behind British favourites Sir Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford.

Tickets for London 2017 launched last year, with...

England manager Gareth Southgate has called on football to embrace the use of psychologists in the same way as other major sports.

In an exclusive interview with UCFB, Southgate said individual sports especially had defined the role of psychology in their game in a way that football still hasn’t, and that having the right mentality at the highest level makes the ultimate difference to performance.

The Three Lions boss said: “I’ve used and worked with sport psychologists as a player and as...

Asked what he thought about the role of a director of football when he was QPR boss, Harry Redknapp famously said: “It’s a joke, really, that you are expected to work with someone else’s players.”

Largely unfancied in English football but now increasingly common, the role is a vital component in player recruitment, which spans from unearthing youth with an eye on the future, to finding players ready for the first team.

It’s not just managers that have regular dealings with a...

Gareth Southgate was at UCFB Wembley this week to speak to students about his career and pass on key advice to aspiring football and sport professionals.

Around 500 students gathered to hear from the England manager as he told tales from his playing and managerial career, advised students on how to deal with adversity at the highest level and revealed why England fans should be excited about the future.

The hour long talk at Wembley Stadium was part of the unique UCFB...

From the pitch to the stands football is a passionate sport that finds a way to get under the skin of thousands of people every weekend.

That passion is equally as important when working within the football industry and is a major factor when hiring for one former Premier League heavyweight.

David Dein spent over 20 years as vice-chairman at Arsenal and was the man responsible for hiring Arsene Wenger and the club’s success around the turn of the century. Since leaving...

UCFB is delighted to announce that England manager Gareth Southgate will be talking to UCFB Wembley students next week as part of the Executive Guest Speaker Series.

Southgate, also a former Premier League and England player, will appear at UCFB Wembley on Tuesday 4th April.

Gareth Southgate

UCFB Wembley will welcome Southgate fresh from England’s 2-0 World Cup qualifying win over Lithuania, with the Three Lions top of Group F and looking good for a place at next year’s tournament in Russia.

Southgate took...

UCFB is delighted to announce that John Motson, every football fan’s favourite commentator, will be talking to UCFB Wembley students next week as part of the Executive Guest Speaker Series.

Motson, now in his fifth decade of commentating will appear at UCFB Wembley on Tuesday 28th March.

John Motson

Affectionately known as ‘Motty’ to most football fans, Motson has been the voice of English football for over five decades in his role with the BBC. Motson began commentating on Match of The Day in...

We’re often told that the Premier League is the best league in the world. It might be the most competitive and be able to throw up the odd Leicester-style surprise, but La Liga sleeps easy at night knowing it has higher quality players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale and Antoine Griezmann gracing the competition each week.

It’s not just domestically where teams are performing. Five of the last ten Champions League winners have come from Spain,...

UCFB is delighted to announce that John Watts, an award winning camera director, will be talking to UCFB Wembley students this week as part of the Executive Guest Speaker Series.

Watts, who has covered numerous major sporting and Royal events, will appear at UCFB Wembley on Tuesday 14th March.

John Watts

One of the world’s most experienced multi-camera directors, Watts is also a BAFTA and RTS award winner including receiving the RTS fellowship in 2016. His career has taken him all around the...