14.12.10. Lessons in the beautiful game: True fanatics can now enroll in a degree in football

From next September, Burnley FC, one of the founder members of the Football League in 1888, will be home to Britain's newest university. A joint venture between Burnley FC and an unnamed university partner will create what is already being dubbed the country's first University of Football. Strictly speaking, the official title will be the University College of Football Business (UCFB). There will initially be a clutch of three-year courses – a sports law LLB, as well as BScs in football business and finance, football marketing and media, and international football business. Undergraduate students will all be guaranteed an industry work placement, while there will also be two single-year access courses, one of which will include English as a foreign language and be tailored to the needs of overseas students, who are expected to make up 30 per cent of the initial intake of 150. So far, potential students from Japan, China, Australia and South America have all registered an interest. Read full text