Four UCFB students took their knowledge to the recent Soccerex convention in Manchester to work for a leading FIFA licensed match agency and specialist women’s football magazine.
Andrew Critcos and Jakub Glowacki, both UCFB Wembley students, spent three days making key contacts whilst promoting the services of El-Ef Sport, who specialise in organising pre-season tours and friendly matches. At the same time fellow Wembley students Lianna Bagley and Danny Cook were in Manchester to film the conference and interview leading football figures for She Kicks.
Andrew and Jakub spoke to individuals from clubs and federations to get an idea of where they wanted to go on pre-season, before working with them to tailor-make a package to suit their needs and budget.
Lianna and Danny had the unique opportunity to gain further insight into the women’s game, as well as attend Q&A sessions with the likes of German footballer Bianca Rech and England captain Steph Houghton, before then filming and interviewing them.
Describing the experience, Andrew, a BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Law student, said: “I had a great time at Soccerex. It was a really eye-opening experience for me as I learnt more about the industry and also about how clubs and federations operate.”
BA (Hons) Football Business & Finance student, Jakub, commented: “It was an invaluable experience. We liaised with a number of people who have a major influence over the football industry. I learnt so much about how they network and perform their jobs, which really opened my eyes to how football as a business operates. It gave me a lot of confidence and reassured me that I am on the right career path.”
Lianna, who studies BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Broadcasting in and around Wembley Stadium, added: “It was great to be able to meet people who could give us an inside business perspective of sport as a whole.”
