Five UCFB students played a vital role in the running of a League Managers Association event raising money for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.
Jake Hannah, Molly Lambourne, Benedikt Neumeier, Chloe Briggs and Daniel Bushell were all in attendance at St George’s Park in the capacity of Event Assistants and Media Assistants, where teams of amateur players led by former international footballers played small sided games, with funds also being raised for the LMA’s charity In The Game and GeeWizz Charity.
On the day, six teams battled it out with each led by former players Stuart Pearce, Terry Butcher, Paul Lambert, Steven Pressley, George Burley and Steve Cotterill.
The students helped make sure the games ran on time, off the field activities were carried out correctly and various personnel, including the professional coaches, were available for press and to be interviewed on the day.
The LMA’s Mark Farthing said he was impressed with the quintet’s professionalism and application at the event, and it was “great to have such willing and able assistance”.
Molly, who studies BA (Hons) Football Business & Finance, said: “The event was a great opportunity to work within a professional environment in the football industry. It enabled me to develop my communication skills in a professional manner and also expanded my knowledge on running an event and how the interviews are conducted after a game.”
BA (Hons) Sports Business & Coaching student Jake said: “I found my experience with the LMA thoroughly enjoyable and beneficial throughout. I began to understand the importance of the planning process within events and how to carry out these plans effectively and efficiently. The highlight for me was liaising with the LMA ambassadors, including Stuart Pearce and Paul Lambert, as well as watching them take charge of a team.”
Chloe, a BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Broadcasting student, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience. It was great to spend the day surrounded by some incredibly experienced managers and a great atmosphere whilst doing something I really enjoy. I learnt a lot on the day and filming both the games and interviews enabled me to widen my knowledge of the camera equipment and become more confident behind it.”
Benedikt, also a BA (Hons) Sports Business & Sports Broadcasting student, added: “The people we met from the LMA were very welcoming and helped with any queries and answering any questions we might have about football, what they do and what their work is like in general.”
He added: “One of the highlights was being on the sidelines with Stuart Pearce laughing and having fun during the match and listening to all of them talk about football during lunch.”
The Sir Bobby Robson Foundation was set up by the legendary England and Newcastle United manager in 2008 to equip new cancer drug trials in his native north east as he battled the disease for a fifth and, sadly, final time. Despite Sir Bobby’s death the following year, the Foundation continues to raise millions of pounds in the fight against the disease. Read more about the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation here.
