BA (Hons) Football Business & Finance

This module enables students to develop self-awareness and to identify those personal qualities, attributes and skills required for successful progression to Level 4 academic study.

The module provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their existing abilities, and to further develop key academic and study skills.

This module allows students to learn about employment prospects in their chosen area of interest. This includes research about what employers are looking for in future recruits – including technical skills, transferable skills, personal attributes and business awareness – as an important pre-cursor for being able to present themselves effectively to employers using a CV, application form, social media networking and during a job interview.

Students will also develop entrepreneurial skills, being able to formulate a properly evidenced proposal to address the needs of identified consumers, for example, some innovation, service improvement or new business opportunity. They will be able to pitch their idea in a professional manner and using a range of appropriate visual aids.

This module provides students with the opportunity to analyse a problem that relates to their specialist subject area, making use of information gathered from various sources using different methods and strategies.

Once the problem is fully understood, as well as the requirements and expectations of the stakeholders, a project can then be planned and completed in a structured manner in order to implement some intervention to bring improvements and benefits to the inspected situation.

Throughout, students will be required to effectively communicate and report their progress with their project, and make use of the advice and guidance provided by an appropriate project supervisor.

The last two decades has seen football grow at an unprecedented rate, in large thanks to an ever increasing multi-billion-pound TV audience. Because of this the role of a football club and the variety of jobs they provide means that club operations are now wide and varied.

This module will provide students with an understanding of a range of concepts and models related to understanding and managing people, work and behaviour in national and international football related organisations, including the influence of marketing, sources of finance for different commercial purposes and political landscape of the game.

Understanding Football Business

The football business is a constantly growing global industry because of its increased popularity and revenues. The unique role that clubs play in society creates an environment that distinguishes the football business from other industries. Administrators of the game need to respect and retain both its spirit and the impact of contemporary issues on its global operations. You will learn how different factors have influenced the development of the football business. Applying basic business theories, you will begin to understand the framework within which all football-related institutions coexist and the decision-making process of clubs, players, agents, governing bodies and other stakeholders. The impact of the external environment, the supporters, ownership models of clubs and social context which has shaped the game will also be considered.

An Introduction to Marketing

Marketing has become synonymous with the ways in which firms attract customers and persuade them to purchase goods and services. Marketing is also a business philosophy that places the customer at the heart of all its activities (customer centric) and regards satisfying customer needs and wants as the only way to build sustainable competitive advantage. You will explore the application of marketing concepts and ideas to the modern football industry and how it has contributed to its growth both in grassroots and professional contexts.

Fundamentals of Accounting & Finance

This module seeks to develop an awareness of and an understanding of the source and purpose of financial accounting information within the organisation and an understanding of the structure of the main financial statements. It is also designed to encourage students to develop skills necessary to be able to use financial information for planning, control and decision making.

Understanding Football Fans & Customers

This module examines our understanding of the football and sports consumer, their motivations, the difference between a ‘fan’ and a ‘customer’, and their level of involvement in purchasing decisions. You will examine the unique relationship between the fan and the team and consider the growing number of supporter led organisations and their influence on the national game. In collaboration with other students, you will carry out market research using both primary and secondary research techniques to look at the characteristics of a football fan and their decision-making process, conducting research for the benefit of the sport and its interested parties.

International Football Business Analysis

This module examines football organisations from a functional perspective, considering the roles, operations and challenges impacting on the international business environment. The purpose of the module is to help you to become more familiar with key business functions and indicators of the different football associations and leagues around the world and their connection with their respective business environments.

Intermediate Financial Accounting

The module will develop financial accounting skills from FB402 Fundamentals in Accounting and Finance. This unit equips students with the financial accounting techniques to prepare income statements and statements of financial position with adjustments. The students will be expected to comment on ethical issues in Financial reporting around the IASs e.g. Recognition of Non-Current Asset values, Impairment and revaluation, Accounting policies when looking at opportunities to window dress financial statements.

Research Methods

The aim of this module is to provide the student with an understanding of research principles, a range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and appropriate analysis for these. This will enable the student to develop the research skills and knowledge necessary to undertake an independent research project. Students will be provided with support in developing their writing style to incorporate citations and make use of referencing.

They will be introduced to Academic Journals and will use these to inform their understanding of the research approaches used in the sector. This will also serve to familiarise the learners with the role of Journals in their wider study. The final aspect of this module will introduce hypothesis testing, with learners making use of a computer package to undertake simple statistical tests commonly used within their subject area.

Intermediate Management Accounting

The module will develop management accounting skills from FB402 Fundamentals in Accounting and Finance. This unit equips students with the management accounting techniques to evaluate both short and long term proposals. The unit will incorporate measures to assess the key performance indicators of businesses and enable students to make recommendations at operational level.

Strategic Management

Studying this module will develop your knowledge of strategic management in different organisational and environmental contexts. You will learn how strategic management is applied within football (grassroots/professional) and sporting industries. You will also be able to critically evaluate how strategic information systems support strategic planning and thinking. The module will provide you with theoretical concepts and relevant tools for undertaking strategic analyses, considering strategic choices and making strategic recommendations.

International Finance

This module will enable you to critically examine the impact on UK football companies of establishing themselves in the international market place. In the module you will consider the national and international accounting requirements, as well as the risks faced when carrying out trade in different currencies. As result of the module you will be able to evaluate the methods employed to reduce risk and maximise benefits. In addition, this module presents an opportunity to analyse, review and assess the impact that trading across borders has on the financial strategies of sports brands.

Research Project

This module aims to provide students with the opportunity for independent learning through the completion of an individual, extended research project. The project requires a high level of individual application and commitment to research and enquiry. It provides students with the opportunity to identify, reflect upon and explore a topic that has implications for their own professional development.

Corporate Reporting

The module will stimulate discussion and debate about how financial managers in the football and sports industries control business operations and are impacted by the prevailing economic climate. The rationale behind the creation of financial statements based on common accounting standards in the UK, and also internationally, will be examined. Theoretical concepts about financial management techniques will be applied and discussed in case studies based on football and other sports clubs. You will learn about the impact of reporting requirements and financial analysis. The theories used in short and long term financial management techniques will be examined and you will consider how to apply these methods appropriately.