Welcome to University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) Manchester. From September 2023, we are proud to announce the expansion of our Manchester Campus, located in the heart of one of the world’s most famous footballing cities with a thriving student population.
With elite stadium venues and bespoke facilites at the heart of the campus, students can live, learn and work at the centre of one of Europe’s most progressive sporting cities. With impressive facilities available across the city to aid your studies, including lecture theatres and seminar rooms, student social areas and cafeteria, library, media suites and quiet study zones, it is hard not to be inspired by your surroundings.
Welcome to UCFB Manchester
Our Plans
The expansion of the UCFB Manchester Campus and changes to the location of our teaching facilities will be implemented from September 2023. We will be making significant commitments to expand and improve our facilities, representing an investment value of £16 million. This wider campus growth will enable our students to experience the best locations in Manchester and will provide an exciting opportunity to bring forward the following key elements:
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High-quality, dedicated teaching facilities fostering new communities of practice.
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Academic centres in Business and Management, Media and Communications, Sports Performance and Football Coaching.
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An inspiring series of Premier Events at Old Trafford Football Stadium and Etihad Stadium.
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A home for our Student Council and Student Union.
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Employer partnerships that will help you to achieve your academic and career goals.
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A strong and vibrant presence in Manchester City Centre for student support within the Library and Study Hub.
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Dedicated, high-quality sports facilities for our Athletic Union at the Etihad Campus, Belle Vue Sports Village and Curzon Ashton F.C.
Please note: Subject to planning authority approval and subject to UEL site approval
Locations at UCFB Manchester Campus
The 55,000 capacity Etihad Stadium is one of our Stadium Experiences and Premier Events locations, just a short walk from Manchester city centre. These Premier Events will include Summit days with industry leading guest speakers, unrivalled stadium experiences, career- focused events and trade conferences.
The iconic 75,000 capacity Old Trafford Football Stadium is one of our new homes for Stadium Experiences and Premier Events. These Premier Events will include Summit days with industry leading guest speakers, unrivalled stadium experiences, career- focused events and trade conferences.
Our innovative Multimedia centre based at Quay Plaza, MediaCityUK will be home to Football & Sports Media and Communications students. This will provide unique access to the sports and media industry at the UK’s leading place for media, sport, tech and creative experiences.
This will be the home of our Football and Sports Business centre, located in the heart of Salford Quays, a short walk from Manchester City Centre and Old Trafford Football Stadium. This will provide students with close links to employment partners within the business and sports districts of Manchester and Salford.
Manchester Sports Village, Belle Vue is one of our leading teaching locations for Sports Performance and Football Coaching students at UCFB Manchester Campus.
Curzon Ashton Football Club is a football club based in Ashton-under-Lyne, Greater Manchester. Founded in 1963 and nicknamed "the Nash", the club is affiliated to the Manchester Football Association and currently competes in the National League North. This will be one of our leading locations for Sports Performance and Football Coaching students at UCFB Manchester Campus.
Located directly opposite Piccadilly Station and in the heart of Manchester, the UCFB Study Hub at Piccadilly Place is a modern student facility that includes a library, study hub and social space, as well as pastoral and learning support drop-in services.
Facilities available at UCFB Manchester
- Etihad Stadium - The 55,000 capacity Etihad Stadium is one of our new homes for Stadium Experiences and Premier Events;
- Old Trafford Football Stadium - The iconic 75,000 capacity Old Trafford Football Stadium is one of our new homes for Stadium Experiences and Premier Events;
- Quay Plaza, MediaCityUK - Our innovative Multimedia centre based at Quay Plaza, MediaCityUK will be home to Football & Sports Media and Communications students;
- Serendipity Labs @ Exchange Quay - The home of our Football and Sports Business centre, located in the heart of Salford Quays;
- Manchester Sports Village, Belle Vue - the teaching location for all non-football students at UCFB Manchester Campus;
- Curzon Ashton - UCFB utilises the facilities available at Curzon Ashton including a 3G pitch;
- National Basketball Centre - The National Basketball Centre, located next to Manchester Sports Village, boasts three courts with markings for basketball and netball. It also includes a leisure centre, dance studio and community gym;
- UCFB Study Hub at Piccadilly Place – Located directly opposite Piccadilly Station and in the heart of Manchester, this brand new modern student facility;
- Manchester Regional Arena – an eight-lane track and field arena with capacity for 6,500 spectators. The space was originally used as a warm-up area during the 2002 Commonwealth Games;
- National Squash Centre – the home England Squash and Manchester Squash Club;
- Manchester Tennis & Football Centre – a mix of six indoor and three outdoor courts fully floodlit to LTA standards, along with three 5-a-side 3G football pitches;
- The National Speedway Stadium – home to Belle Vue Aces and a number of teaching spaces;
- The National Cycling Centre – one of the world’s finest and fastest board tracks, home of British Cycling and the UK’s only permanent indoor BMX track;
- Ten Acres Lane Sports Complex – home of the National Taekwondo Centre. Facility also provides a modern 3G football pitch.
Transport at UCFB Manchester
There are excellent public transport links across the new wider campus via bus, train and Metrolink. We have been working with several different operators to bring students multiple options to travel across the city.
The daily travelcard for zones 1 and 2 remains the same price as last year and you can purchase a Clipper ticket which gives you 10 day tickets for the price of 9.
The number 50 bus connects the student living area of Fallowfield, with the city centre, then on to Media City. We are working with stagecoach to see what discounted options we can provide to our UCFB students. They have a dedicated student information page where you can find out more here: www.stagecoachbus.com
The new Bee Network will bring together the transport operators across Manchester to make travel easier for you. This will be live from 24th September with a new app and website available from 18th September. Bee AnyBus will offer a daily ticket for £5 which allows unlimited travel on all bus operators anywhere in Greater Manchester. You can also purchase a new Bee AnyBus+Tram ticket so you can travel on the mode of transport that works best for you. You can keep up to date with the launch here: tfgm.com/the-bee-network
Our new properties at Exchange Quay and Quay Plaza have some nearby parking options for students who need to come by car to campus:
- Parkway Metrolink Park and Ride: All day parking for the cost of a tram ticket. tfgm.com/public-transport
- Students can park at the park and ride and then catch the Red metrolink tram line to Imperial War Museum station for Quay Plaza or Wharfside Station for Exchange Quay
- Quay Plaza nearest parking: Quayside Media Car Park. Address and costs can be found here under the tariff section: www.mediacityuk.co.uk
- Exchange Quay nearest parking: Capital Quay Car park (pay and display, or paybyphone). Costs: up to 2 hours £2 | 3 hours £3 | up to 12 hours £6.
Cycling is a great way to be active whilst travelling across Manchester to our different sites. You can download the Beryl bike app on your smartphone to unlock the bikes and drop them back off at a docking station. Pedal bikes cost 50p to unlock and 5p per minute to ride. E-bikes cost £1 to unlock and 10p per minute to ride. You can find more info here: beeactive.tfgm.com
We are working with Lime e-scooters to provide a quick and cheap way to travel between the two new sites in Salford. Lime run the e-scooter Government trial in Salford. There are e-scooter docks outside Exchange Quay (2 mins away) and at Media City (5 mins from Quay Plaza) where you can pick up and drop off the scooters, to enable a quick journey between the two locations.
Students get a 50% discount on the per-minute fee if you provide evidence of your student card, so you can hire a scooter for less than 10p per minute. It will take under 10 minutes to get between Exchange Quay and Quay Plaza, so you can travel for less than £1. You can download the Lime app on your smartphone or use this link: limebike.app.link
Sporting opportunities at UCFB Manchester
Thanks to a partnership with Manchester City Council, students can access and utilise facilities such as the Manchester Regional Arena and Indoor Athletics centre, National Squash Centre, Belle Vue Leisure Centre and the National Basketball Performance Centre.
The exciting addition of having access to these best-in-class facilities will enrich students’ studies alongside their academic learning. UCFB Manchester is dedicated to educating students in the complex facets of the football and related industries.
UCFB has partnered with Unite Students Mill Point to offer all UCFB Manchester students vibrant, safe and centrally-located student accommodation in the heart of Manchester.
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