The MBA (Football Industries), or FIMBA as it has become known, was the brainchild of Dr Rogan Taylor who had founded the Football Supporters' Association in the aftermath of the Heysel disaster in 1985, and made regular appearances as a journalist and TV presenter before being appointed as a Research Fellow at the University of Liverpool (Department of Economic History). With the establishment of the English Premier League and the reorganisation of the UEFA Champions' League after 1992, Rogan saw a need for well-trained professional managers and executives on the business side of the industry, and persuaded the university of the need for a specialist MBA. As a long-established full-time member of the academic staff I was appointed as programme director (1997-2003) to make sure that everything worked effectively before handing over to Dr Geoff Pearson. I continued to teach the Football Finance module on the programme until 2017, when I retired and it was taken over by my colleague, Kieran Maguire, a qualified accountant and specialist author and broadcaster on the subject. I thoroughly recommend Kieran's book and podcasts on 'The Price of Football'.

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Over the years over 600 students from more than 60 countries have graduated from the FIMBA programme. Each cohort has contained a real mixture of nationalities and experiences, and they form a strong network within the industry. The majority have secured roles with major employers in football and other sports, while others have spotted market niches in their own countries and established their own firms. Among those who have employed our graduates are:

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Clubs: Liverpool, Everton, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Brighton and Hove Albion, Sheffield United, Brentford, Southampton, Bournemouth, Norwich City, Bristol City, Celtic, Hibernian, Dunfermline Athletic, plus leading clubs in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Turkey, Russia, India, China, Korea, Japan.

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Organising bodies: The International Olympic committee, FIFA, UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation, national associations and leagues in England, Scotland, Wales, Norway, Iceland, Spain, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Peru, Mexico, Brazil.

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Other sports: rugby union (including World Rugby, the British and Irish Lions, and the Rugby Football Union), the Jockey Club and the Goodwood Group, basketball, handball, lawn tennis, golf, boxing, ice hockey, squash.

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Suppliers to the industry, media, and agencies: Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Nielsen Sports, InFront, MediaCom, SportFive, Octagon, SportBusiness, CAA, SportRadar, TransferRoom, DoublePass, Perform, Danish TV, ESPN, TV Azteca.

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From the beginning the students have enjoyed regular guest speaker sessions and study trips, and been encouraged to network with key individuals in the industry including David Dein, Paul Barber, Phil Carling, Robert Elstone, successive chairs of the Football Association, Peter Kenyon, Trevor Brooking, Rick Parry, Jane Purdon, Jane Bateman, Andy Cullen, Adrian Filby, Richard Kenyon, as well as graduates like Jimmy Worrall (founder of Leaders in Sport) and Misha Sher (Global Head of Sport, Entertainment & Culture, MediaCom). Neil Doncaster, CEO of the Scottish Professional Football League, has successfully led an annual 'crisis management' training session hosted at a football club for several years.

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For further information about the FIMBA degree and how to apply for it, see this link.