Birkbeck Sport Business Centre: A lesson in the game

The Birkbeck Sport Business Centre is a specialist sports business research and consultancy centre based in the Management Department at Birkbeck, University of London that offers a range of sport management programmes. In the latest Quick-Fire Questions, SportsPro catches up with Birkbeck Sport Business Centre's Dr Geoff Walters (left) and Sean Hamil.

What was your first job?

GW: My first job after graduating from university was as a researcher in the Football Governance Research Centre where I was involved in a number of research projects looking at the way the UK football industry was governed – eight years later this is still a very prominent topic!

"The sport industry is no longer the backwater in business terms which predominated in the 'amateur era', but one of the most dynamic sectors in the global economy"

SH: After graduation from Trinity College Dublin and the London School of Economics I worked as a researcher for the Henley Centre for Forecasting, which is an economic and social forecasting company which is now part of the WPP international advertising services conglomerate. Mainly I worked on projects supporting the activities of advertising agency partners, assisting them to better understand the nature of the markets in which their client companies were working. The experience gave me a very good understanding of the value of applied social science as an influencer of corporate strategy where robust research methods are employed.

When did you first become interested in sport economics, marketing, and management?

SH: I was an active player of five-a-side football until two dodgy ankles forced me to withdraw. My professional interest was first aroused in 1998/1999 when BSkyB tried to buy Manchester United.  It seemed obvious to a group of us at Birkbeck that the bid should be blocked on the grounds that it would distort the broadcasting market conferring an unfair bidding advantage to BSkyB in the auction for Premier League rights; however there was initially little serious public debate on the issue. We held a small conference at Birkbeck to debate the bid ramifications for football, attended by amongst others Joan Laporta later to be the elected President of FC Barcelona. Things snowballed from there; the bid was then referred to the Monopolies & Mergers Commission and ultimately rejected on competition grounds.  The lesson I drew from the experience was that there was a real need for high quality research in British universities on the subject of the economy and business of sport, and that such research could really influence policy making in the sector.  In 2000 we formally established the sport research group at Birkbeck.

GW: Although sport, and particularly football, has been a passion of mine for many years it was only during my postgraduate studies at the University of Manchester that I became interested in the way that the industry operates. During my studies I worked on an in-depth case study of the growth of the Professional Footballers Association and it was this that introduced me to the prospect of actually pursuing a research career focusing on the sport industry.

 

"It is clear that the key priority for students that want to work in the sport industry is the need to develop contacts and network as much as possible. That is why at Birkbeck we have a regular seminar series where industry speakers are invited to present"

 

Why should potential students choose Birkbeck’s courses over others?

GW/SH: Birkbeck has an excellent academic reputation and in 2010 was recognised as one of the top 200 global universities in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Recruitment onto the portfolio of Birkbeck Sport Management programmes is roughly evening balanced between a full-time and part-time cohort. Many of the latter are already working for sport organisations and enrol our programmes as a form of professional development. As the only specialist provider of evening higher education in London we are able to very effectively support students who are balancing daytime work with evening study. The MSc Sport Management and the Business of Football was one of the first postgraduate courses in the UK tailored specifically to the sport industry and is one of the leading courses in the UK. It provides a thorough understanding of key issues including sport economics, governance and regulation, marketing, sports law and sport events. The MSc Sport Marketing is the first of its kind in the UK and provides a comprehensive understanding of a range of generic marketing subjects in addition to the sport industry and will help graduates to pursue a marketing or marketing related career within the sport industry. The teaching at Birkbeck is research-led and does not simply rely on textbooks.

Can you provide some examples of what graduates of your course have gone on to do?

GW/SH: Our graduates have gone on to work in a variety of management and administration roles within the sport industry at a wide range of organizations including Locog, the Sport and Recreation Alliance, Chelsea Football Club Football in the Community Department, the Football Association, Manchester United,  Leaders in Football, Fifa and the Premier League. Many of our international students have also moved back to their respective countries to pursue sport industry careers within organisations including AEK Larnarca Football Club and Zenit St Petersberg,

What is the most challenging aspect of your job?

GW/SH: You really have to work hard to keep up with the key trends influencing the development of the sector. The sport industry is no longer the backwater in business terms which predominated in the 'amateur era', but one of the most dynamic sectors in the global economy. Notably it operates at the intersection between the media and sports apparel/fashion sectors, and with a very high level of scrutiny from governmental and civil society stakeholders – the current enquiry into the governance of football by the House of Commons Culture, Media & Sport Committee is a good example of this phenomenon.  Having said that it is the very complexity and challenging nature of the sector that makes it such a compelling and exciting sector for study.

What one piece of advice would you give to somebody wanting to start out in the sports business industry?

GW/SH: It is clear that the key priority for students that want to work in the sport industry is the need to develop contacts and network as much as possible. That is why at Birkbeck we have a regular seminar series where industry speakers are invited to present. This allows the students to get a better understanding of the practicalities involved in working within sport and offers an opportunity to develop their network of contacts.  

For more information on the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre and  Birkbeck’s postgraduate Sport Management courses please go to www.sportbusinesscentre.com