FIELD TRIPS

A particularly great element of the FIFA Master course is the quantity and quality of field trips that CIES and the various Universities organise.  Today we returned from a visit to the Reebok Stadium, home of Bolton Wanderers.  We stayed in the hotel which is fully integrated within the stadium itself.  From there we also travelled to Manchester United, Manchester City and the Professional Footballer's Association. Here's a snapshot of each visit:

PFA: Unfortunately Chief Executive Gordon Taylor was caught up in the 'Tevez Affair' and therefore wasn't available to address the class.  Instead we listened to George Berry, former Wolverhampton Wanderers player and professional footballer for 22 years.  Had a number of interesting stories to tell and gave us all an idea of how the PFA operates and how it assists players in developing their careers.

Bolton Wanderers: Have had moderate levels of success during the 20th Century including a very successful decade in the 1950's.  Have struggled to compete as well as the 'big' clubs over the past 50 years due to less available finances but have been in the Premier League for 11 consecutive seasons now.  Main goal is to continue in the top flight of English football.  Are also innovative in the way they attract new revenue streams by hosting a number of concerts at the ground and facilitating a huge number of functions throughout the Hotel itself.

Manchester United: Have a very strong attitude of 'we win the most trophies and therefore are the best club'. They believe people will follow them because they win.  Their philosophy is they don't need to change anything too drastic as their continued formula for success is working and they are the benchmark in world football.

Manchester City: Not only myself but the entire class was very impressed with this club. Yes we realise they now have huge pools of money and resources to draw upon but you still need to know how to use that money wisely.  Manchester City have done this very well.  From the quality of their presentations, attitude towards their fans and interaction with commercial partners to their overall business model are all very refreshing.  It may sound simple but from the minute we walked in we knew they cared about us. Friendly, approachable, confident in their future ambitions without being arrogant.  Providing everyone in the class with a £10 gift voucher to use in the merchandise shop was the icing on the cake to a fantastic afternoon's experience. Compare this to Manchester United who made us wait on several occasions during the tour, made very dull and predictable presentations, had the most sour and disinterested tour guide who couldn't crack a smile and wanted us out of the stadium as quickly as possible (have never heard someone use one word answers as often as he did). To cap it all off the coffee was cold. Manchester City couldn't have been more different and professional. Maybe the 6-1 result over the weekend had something to do with it but one result shouldn't affect your ability to host. It wasn't hard to pick which club you would rather support or possibly want to work for in the future.

WEEK 3

This week rounded off with the second instalment of class assessments on the 'Birth of Modernisation in Sport'.  Two tasks in the first 3 weeks.  The program directors don't muck around! Also had guest lectures from Nick Bitel, Chief Executive of the London Marathon and Jenny Green/James Fuller from UK Anti-Doping.

Students Alex Cabot, Rob Swain and I have founded the 'FIFA Master 12th Edition football team' and as a result, our first fixture will be an outdoor 6-a-side tournament scheduled for this weekend.  Will be good to see the talent of the local Leicester community and pitch ourselves against a number of DMU students.

FUN FACT: The 1st October was the hottest day on record for Leicester in 2011.  Peaking at 27C, I wouldn't like to know how mild their summer has been.  Regardless, there are reports that by the end of the month, it will already be snowing. What a turnaround.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK: "If it takes 10 to kill me, I'll take 9"...Legendary British cyclist Tommy Simpson who tragically died during Stage 13 of the Tour de France in 1967.

WEEK 2 - PART II

Week 2 of the FIFA Master program rounded off with a field visit to 'Rugby School'. Fascinating to learn the origins of the game and various 'myths and legends' that keep historians happy. To have the very school at which he attended state that there is no real evidence William Webb Ellis ever 'picked up the ball and ran with it' was very interesting. The school itself was an exact replica of Harry Potter's 'Hogwarts' with similar architecture/decor etc. Watched a couple of pupils play 'racquetball' (another form of squash) where they hit a tiny wooden ball against a wall.  With the accuracy and power they hit it with, you wouldn't want to cop one in the eye (at which point our tour guide explained he had been hit in the stomach and hasn't been the same since).

This week, 5 classmates and I also took the opportunity to visit Emirates Stadium to watch Arsenal vs Olympiakos in the Champions League group stage.  Would have to be one of the best stadiums I've ever visited (every single seat is padded!) and even though we were quite high up, we still felt almost on the sideline as the angle of seats is such that it's nearly a sheer drop! Arsenal won 2-1 in a very entertaining game.