Previous Seminars 2010
Harlequins Rugby League: Successfully Growing a Sport Business in an Expansion Territory
Wednesday 10th November 2010, 6pm
Paul Blanchard, Chief Executive, Harlequins Rugby League
In this presentation Harlequins Rugby League CEO Paul Blanchard will first explain the organisation structure of Super League, the elite professional rugby league competition in Europe. The competition has been consistently innovative in the development of regulatory policy designed to improve the quality of the league. Most notably it introduced a licensing system in 2005 for clubs participating in the league from 2009. In the second part of his presentation Paul will outline how Harlequins Rugby League management has developed the club’s internal business competencies to assist it to grow and prosper as a firmly established member of the league
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"The Perceived Increase of Social Responsibility in the Football Industry: due to a broadening of the sports sector and growing influence of ‘external’ institutions?”
Wednesday 3rd November 2010, 6pm
Dr Roger Levermore, University of Liverpool School of Management.
This first part of the lecture explores the extent to which the football industry has embraced the concept of social responsibility that has increased considerably across other industrial sectors. The second part of the lecture questions this picture and assumption. It highlights concern that there is little substance behind this wave of social responsibility. This might be part of a long established trend of social irresponsibility in football, standard behaviour of the forms of organisational typology associated with the football industry and/or a further indication of mainstream business practices entering the football industry where social responsibility is used as a ploy to escape stricter government regulation
"And now what? The Future of EU Sports Policy after the Treaty of Lisbon”
Wednesday 27th October 2010, 6pm
Dr Borja García, Lecturer in Sport Management and Policy, Loughborough University
One of the perhaps less known novelties of the Lisbon Treaty is the introduction of an article that, for the first time, equips the European Union (EU) with a direct competence in the area of sport. Articles 6 and 165 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) give the EU competence to ‘carry out actions to support, coordinate or supplement the actions of the Member States’ in the area of sport. This inclusion of sport in the EU Treaties is a long awaited request of what is sometimes known as the “sporting movement” (which largely encompasses the governing bodies of European sport), which has finally come to reality. But now, what is going to happen with EU sports policy? What are the consequences for the application of EU law and for sports governance? Are sports governing bodies any better off with this new article? Dr Borja Garcia addresses these and other issues
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The Secret History of the Premier League
Wednesday 13th October 2010
Alex Fynn, Author and Broadcaster, and Consultant to the Football Industry
In this presentation Alex Fynn, the well-known football industry consultant and media commentator revisits the birth of England’s Premier League (PL). Speaking with the authority of a true insider present at the birth of the PL, as someone who was intimately involved in the detailed behind-the-scenes discussions that led to its formation, Alex assesses to what extent the PL has truly met the objectives set for it back in 1992. First outlining the many successes of the League Alex will then also analyse the strategic mistakes and missed opportunities.
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South Africa – Legacy of the World Cup
Wednesday, September 29th September at 6pm
Roundtable Discussion
The 2010 World Cup in South Africa was a tournament infused with social commentary. Doubts were raised over South Africa's capacity and suitability to host the event. Others viewed the tournament as a logistical triumph in the face of a crippling global recession, and an important victory over the unenlightened voices of the 'Afro-pessimists;' now going so far as to place the event amongst the most successful of any major global sports mega-events. What is clear is that the tournament has been about more than just football - it has been a continental 'event' of great symbolic significance.
The Royal African Society invites you to join a panel of commentators from South Africa and beyond to discuss such themes, focussing on the successes, perceptions and possible legacies the tournament has produced.
- John Battersby - International Marketing Council of South Africa / International Journalist
- Renee Horne - Ex-SABC senior political journalist and war correspondent, SOAS PhD student and teaching assistant.
- Joel Kibazo - Associate Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham House / Director of Communications and Public Affairs, and spokesperson of the Commonwealth Secretariat
- Thapelo Moloantoa - Manager, FullCircle Sport Media
- Steve Bloomfield - Foreign Editor of Monocle and author of 'Africa United: How Football Explains Africa'
Registration required: Please e-mail: RSVP@royalafricansociety.org
Read more about the Roundtable Event.
Birkbeck Sport Business Centre
Birkbeck Business Week Event: Getting More Businesslike about the Management and Business of Sport
Wednesday 30 June, 6.15pm
Main Building, Birkbeck College, University of London, Torrington Square, Basement Lecture Theatre B33
Registration required: Please email bizweek@bbk.ac.uk if you wish to attend or contact Sean Hamil at s.hamil@bbk.ac.uk for further details.
Followed by drinks reception.
Roundtable Panel
With Portsmouth FC becoming the first Premier League to enter financial adminstration since the League's foundation in 1992, and both Manchester United and Liverpool both the subject of recent media speculation regarding the medium term sustainability of their financial business models, in this roundtable discussion the question is posed:
- Is the time now right for a major English club to transform itself into the FC Barcelona Mutual Ownership model?
The three roundtable panellists are:
- Brian Burgess, Director, Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Ltd.
- David Coulter, Deputy Chief Executive, Co-operatives UK
- Sean Hamil, Co-Director, Birkbeck Sport Business Centre.
Read more about the Roundtable Event.
The London Launch of the: Governance Guide for Turkish Football Clubs
Monday 7th June 2010 at 6pm
The Birkbeck Sport Business Centre is hosting the London launch of the Governance Guide for Turkish Football Clubs in association with the report's authors, the Corporate Governance Association of Turkey (TKYD).
The Keynote speakers will be:
- Dr Levent Bicakci, (former President of the Turkish Football Association).
- Mr Dorukhan Acar, (TKYD Board member)
- Mr Mete Ikiz, (TKYD Board member)
- Sean Hamil, (Co-Director, the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre)
The TKYD has taken the initiative to support establishing model standards of corporate governance in Turkish football. TKYD's focus is to ensure good governance principles in the Turkish business community, and the Turkish football industry, with its estimated €750 million Euro market size as of the 2009/2010 season, has become a very tangible part of the Turkish business community.
In order to support and guide football club directors at all competitive levels a set of guidelines has been prepared and was launched in Istanbul in January 2010. The English version of this Governance Guide for Turkish Football Clubs is being shared with the international media and UK representatives, with participation of media representatives from Turkey, on the 7th June at Birkbeck College, University of London.
Read more about The Launch of the Governance Guide for Turkish Football Clubs.
The Launch of the Women’s Super League in March 2011:
A Catalyst for Another Decade of Progress for Women’s Football in England
Wednesday 19th May 2010 at 6pm
A Roundtable Discussion
- Rachel Pavlou, National Women’s Football Development Manager at the Football Association. She has particular responsibility for managing the implementation of the FA Women's & Girls’ Football Strategy & National Game Strategy, managing the FA Girls’ Centres of Excellence programme of 52 licensed Centres and the National Project Officer, and supporting the development of the Women’s Super League.
- Chair – Eric Golding, FA Registered Supply League Referee Assessor, Referee Assessor on the FA Women’s Premier League, Referee Co-ordinator at the Arsenal Ladies Centre of Excellence, Hon. Mentoring Officer at the London FA, Retired Referee and FA Registered Referee Tutor.
- Lorraine Deschamps, FA Football for all Ambassador, Trustee of Sporting Equals, Football Association (FA) registered Tutor and level 5 Referee, also an Assistant Referee on the Women's Premier League.
- Sarah Hobbs, represents the new generation of young female referees having taken up refereeing whilst a student at Richmond upon Thames College in 2005. She is currently a level 5 Referee and intends to seek Women’s FIFA registration within two years.
This roundtable event brings together a number of distinguished figures from English women’s football to discuss the prospects for the women’s game after a decade of successful expansion in grassroots participation and significant improvement in the quality of the elite women’s game. In particular, the panel will focus on the challenges ahead for the women’s game at a time of great optimism on the eve of one the most significant developments in the history of the women’s game, the launch of the FA Women’s Super League in March 2011.
Read more about The Launch of the Women’s Super League in March 2011
Arsenal in the Community: 1985 – 2010
Wednesday 5th May 2010 at 6pm
Freddie Hudson and Samir Singh, Arsenal in the Community
In this seminar Community Manager, Freddie Hudson and Community Assistant, Samir Singh, will present an overview of the Club’s work in north London and beyond. They will outline the early years of Football in the Community as well as covering at the national and local level the policies and partners that have enabled Arsenal Football Club to work in a wide range of areas: sport, education, diversity, social inclusion, regeneration and charity.
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Football Clubs’ Finances: Crisis and Player Salaries
Wednesday 28th April 2010 at 6pm
Dr Ángel Barajas, University of Vigo, Observatorio Económico del Deporte.
In this presentation Dr Barajas will outline the current financial situation in Spanish professional football analysing the relationships between the size of market, team payrolls, and team performance. He demonstrates the financial problems that are created by the football player labour market “arms race” that clubs are engaged in for recruiting the most talented players in order to achieve the best possible sporting outcome. He discusses the implications of the new Spanish Law for companies in financial distress that has implied that nine clubs are technically insolvent, and explains the reasons for this situation. He then discusses the context from which the recent threat of strike action by the Spanish Professional Football Players Union arose. He concludes by suggesting some possible remedies for the current difficult situation of Spanish football.
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The Organisation of Belgian and Dutch Professional Football: the Place of “Stepping Stone” Leagues in the New Football League Hierarchy Post-Bosman
Wednesday 21st April 2010 at 6pm
Professor Trudo Dejonghe, Lessius Business College (Catholic University Leuven), Belgium
Football in the Low Countries (Belgium and the Netherlands) was, as in many other countries, introduced by British immigrants. Both countries share a lot of commonalities in football: the origin of the game was similar and they both stuck to the amateur principle until the introduction of professionalism in the 1970’s; their leading clubs enjoyed significant sporting successes in European football in the 1970s and 1980s, but are now perceived as “Stepping Stone” leagues for high quality developing players aiming to move to careers in the Big 5 leagues - England, France, Germany, Italy and France. In this presentation leading Belgian sports’ economist Professor Trudo Dejonghe analyses the place of Belgian and Dutch football in the modern European football environment.
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The Policing of Football Supporters in Italy in the 21st Century: Repeating the Mistakes of England in the 1980s?
A Roundtable Discussion
- Lorenzo Contucci, Civil Rights Lawyer.
- Dr Mark James – Salford University and an expert on the evolution of the law in England & Wales as it has been applied to football supporters.
- Dr Geoff Pearson – Liverpool University, and expert on the history of policing of football supporters in England.
- Marco Perduca, Senator for the Radical Party in the Italian Parliament.
Wednesday 24th March 2010
This roundtable event brings together distinguished speakers and experts from England and Italy to discuss the comparative experience of the policing of football supporters in both countries, and in particular the application of the special laws focused specifically on controlling the behaviour of football fans. Critically the panel address a key question: is the legislative and policing response of the Italian authorities in the 21st Century simply repeating the mistakes of England in the 1980s? In addressing this question the panel will also address another key question: can any reform of the policing of Italian football avoid one of the alleged shortcomings of the English “modernisation”, the over-sanitisation of the stadium experience.
Read more about The Policing of Football Supporters in Italy
As this event is expected to be heavily over-subscribed please confirm your place by RSVP to s.hamil@bbk.ac.uk.
“Greek Professional Football: ‘What’s the score after the triumph in Euro 2004?”
Christos Anagnostopoulos, Researcher at Salford Business School, University of Salford
Drawing on a recently published book - Business in Football: The Structure & Organisation of Greek Professional Football - co-authored with Takis Alexopoulos (University of Peloponnese, Greece), Christos Anagnostopoulos will examine the development of Greek football with particular focus on its organisational structure. Beginning with a historical overview of Greek football the core discourse concerns the institutional structure, power struggles amongst the football authorities, and the financial regulations which underpin the Greek leagues. The presentation will then outline four characteristic types of ownership seen in the current Greek professional football context, and briefly concludes with some possible suggestions for tackling the organisational challenges which confront Greek football.
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The Royal African Society & the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, Birkbeck College, University of London, are proud to present:
Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO, 2010 FIFA World Cup Organising Committee South Africa
“The 2010 World Cup: What will it give South Africa?”
11.00am, Thursday 4th March 2010
Tambling Suite, Chelsea Football Club, Stamford Bridge, London SW6 1HS
Twenty years since Nelson Mandela was released from prison South Africa hosts the 2010 FIFA football World Cup. However, despite this historic anniversary, many questions remain. Will the Rainbow Nation host a tournament that is successful on more than just a sporting level? Can football hasten the healing process for millions of South Africans still in the shadow of apartheid? What does this mean for South Africa and the continent's developing global image? Dr Danny Jordaan, CEO of the tournament, explores the legacies the World Cup bequeath.
Sean Hamil, Co-Director of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, and Themba Ndlwana, alumni of the Birkbeck MSc Sport Management & the Business of Football, with Dr Danny Jordaan. Themba, a native South African, delivered the vote of thanks to Dr Jordaan on behalf of Birkbeck.
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Securing the Future of a Medium-Sized English Football Club: the Case of Brentford FC’s Planned Move to a New Community Stadium
Wednesday 3rd March 2010
Brian Burgess, Director, Brentford FC (Lionel Road) Ltd
In this presentation, former Bees chairman Brian Burgess first explains the challenging financial environment in which a medium-sized football club must operate United (Bees United is the supporters’ co-operative that has a controlling interest in English Football League Division 1 club Brentford FC). He will then outline how a proposed “community hub” model may offer the best model for survival and indeed prosperity for such clubs going forward into the future. He will then discuss the specific challenges relating to moving a club like Brentford from its current 100 year old home to a planned new 20,000 Community Stadium which can secure the club’s future for the next generation on Brentford supporters. Finally he will reflect on the supporters’ trust/private investor partnership model at Brentford, which over the last five years has delivered stability to the club in a very difficult financial environment.
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New Geographies of the International Recruitment of Football Players in Europe
Wednesday 17th February 2010
Dr Raffale Poli, Sports Science Institute of the University of Lausanne, in Switzerland
The About to go into its fifth year of publication, the Annual Review of the European Football Players is the definitive reference publication for information on football labour market trends and the logics of squad formation in the five main European leagues. Now in its second year of publication the Demographic Study of European Footballers is an annual publication which offers a scientific analysis of the European football players’ labour market. It presents the dynamics at work in 36 first division leagues in UEFA member countries. Dr Raffaele Poli is one of the founders of both publications. In this seminar, drawing on data from both publications and the work of the, Dr Poli presents the latest results on international flows of footballers towards and within Europe.
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Talent Identification and Elite Player Recruitment in ‘Network Football’ – A critical case study from inside the Premier League
Wednesday 10th February 2010
Dr Jonathan Magee, Senior Lecturer in the School of Sport, Tourism and the Outdoors, University of Central Lancashire
The global development of the professional football world has increased the rate, scale, and destinations of professional football labour migrants. A key conduit behind such increases has been the legislative changes to labour legislation whereby contractual freedom has greatly facilitated professional players to cross national and international borders for occupational purposes. Following over a decade of academic research into the football labour market the author secured a Consultancy Post in 2008 at an elite level English professional club where he established and then managed a Player Recruitment System. With the approval of the football club, this paper focuses on critical issues regarding talent identification and player recruitment.
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Sport Marketing and the Globalization of Football
Wednesday 3rd February 2010 at 6pm
Michel Desbordes, Professor in Sport Marketing, University of Paris Salford
In the light of a prevailing view that football is ‘the global game’, in this presentation Professor Desbordes examines the state of football marketing in different geographic areas across the world. He then assesses the state of marketing in football across the world, based around the following groups: a) marketing football in the ‘big-5’ European leagues; b) marketing football in small European countries; c) football marketing in the rest of the world. He concludes by identifying some of the challenges that football marketers are likely to face over the next 5 to 10 years.
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Why England Lose & Other Curious Football Phenomena Explained
- including “The Strange Death of the FA Cup”?
Professor Stefan Szymanski, Cass Business School, City University London
In this presentation, drawing on material from his latest book Why England Lose & Other Curious Football Phenomena Explained, (co-authored with Simon Kuper, journalist and columnist with the Financial Times), Professor Stefan Szymanski focuses on a key phenomenon addressed in the book; the decline in popularity of the FA Cup. He explains how for the 1970s, an examination of attendance figures illustrates that games between the same two teams in the FA Cup attracted a higher crowd than when the teams met in league competition in the same season. However, from the 1994/95 season the gap in superior attendances at FA Cup games began to erode quickly until in 1997/98 they fell below the figure for equivalent league games for the first time.
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Supporting Arsenal FC's Community Department Outreach - Arsenal FC Case Book for Schools
Wednesday, January 13th 2010 at 6pm
Paul Kitchin and Jon Pettigrew
In this seminar, Paul Kitchin and Jon Pettigrew review their recent publication, a Casebook for UK Schools and Colleges about the business of running a major sports venue and brand - Arsenal FC's Emirates Stadium. Examples will be shown of the range of business studies issues which were researched with the Club's support, starting with an MBA Case about the financing of the stadium, leading to a 96 page full colour Case Book, published by London Metropolitan Business School, about to be launched into UK Schools and Colleges. Insights will be provided into the management of the relationship between academia and professional sport, including football, when dealing with project working. In particular the difference between organisational support and commitment to projects (which differ in their critical insight and audience) will be explored. Data from observations and interviews regarding organisational partnerships will be presented. Current project developments for a 2012 MBA Case on the London 2012 Olympics and spin-off Schools and Colleges materials will be reviewed.
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