Both roles taught Matthew two vital skills – speed and efficiency. He added: “You have to be very efficient, there are so many things happening all the time that you have to get through them very quickly. I was at talkSPORT during the Merseyside derby and was asked to get a profile together on Ross Barkley. I only had five minutes to do it and this taught me I had to be quick.”
UCFB students are told from day one to embrace their world-class campuses and grab the opportunities available to them.
Student Matthew Lang did just that when he came out of a lecture at UCFB Wembley to be met by a hungry press pack chasing the latest story from the national stadium.
Matthew explained: “I was coming out of UCFB Wembley on the day that The FA announced that Sam Allardyce was no longer England manager and there was all the press outside the entrance to the stadium. Someone from talkSPORT approached me and asked for me to comment. It was then I gave them my contact details and told them I was a student interested in work experience!”
His direct approach paid off and soon Matthew was helping to research the popular Drivetime show and assisting the producer. His time at talkSPORT also saw him rub shoulders with regular guest speakers including Harry Redknapp and Tony Cascarino.
Studying in and around a working stadium can often lead to UCFB students meeting some of the elite from the football and sports industry. Students are encouraged to network and use this access to further enhance their career prospects, something Matthew has done with great success.
The BA (Hons) Football Business & Finance student also recently completed a placement at the Scottish Professional Football League in Glasgow.
North of the border, Matthew’s time in Glasgow came courtesy of the SPFL’s chief executive Neil Doncaster, who’s also part of UCFB’s Employability and Enhancement Panel and is regularly seen at both UCFB campuses leading his Management Games initiative.
Working with the social media team in Scotland, Matthew was able to sit in on meetings and assist by making suggestions on how to raise the profile of the Scottish game. He also shadowed Doncaster as part of the role and was able to see first-hand the day-to-day of a top-level professional in the football industry.
Find out more
