Football is a genuinely British kind of sport. It was invented in the UK many years ago, and today it’s the most popular sport both in the UK and Europe. We don’t have a clue why Americans call this game European football or soccer, but we know that every single football fan dreamed about being on the pitch. Apart from the national leagues and other massive tournaments, one can also play on the university football team.
British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) has already given such a chance to almost 600 students (450 men and 150 women). Over the years, BUCS organizes grand Championships apart from the independent tournaments hosted by some Redbrick Universities. Another tournament by BUCS is called a Trophy competition. Manchester Metropolitan, Essex and Gloucestershire performed brilliantly among men, whereas St Mary’s and Leeds taking over among women.
What’s the top of your BUCS career? World University Summer Games is not the most prestigious competition, judging from the venues selected. However, it’s a great chance to get in the spotlight and introduce yourself as an ambitious young player.
And what if you’d like to become a coach, manager, or psychologist for your favourite football team? Which educational institutions will support your ambitions in the niche?
Cardiff Metropolitan University
The story of Cardiff Met FC goes back to 1984. The sports academy functions under the Football Association of Wales (FAW). Today, it is considered to have one of the most credible programmes in South Wales. Thanks to the qualified coaches, who are a part of Cardiff Met FC in the JD Welsh Premier League, Cardiff Met FC members develop both physical and academic skills. There are multiple leadership courses presented on campus for the sake of motivating future football stars to fully immerse into the sports industry in the long run.
University of South Wales (USW)
USW is known for its excellent football programmes aimed at raising qualified coaches, performance analysts, and sports scientists. This means you will have the actual homework to do apart from practices – custom essay writing UK will not let you down on this. 94% of USW students are satisfied with their curriculum and future job opportunities, which cover both European and American vacancies. No wonder – many of the professors are the practicing UEFA specialists working on the international level, and what can be better than learning from the industry giants?
Durham University
Durham University is known for involving students from different colleges into 3 football and 3 futsal teams they manage on campus. These 6 teams successfully perform in the BUCS league, which serves as an essential career boost for the players. Durham announced that all of their football players keep leaving the team due to the offered contracts from other FC. Both residents and international students may apply for scholarships, however, they can either do an undergraduate or postgraduate one respectively. Pre-season training is available!
University of Bath
Bath teams were made from the former Team Bath FC’s FA, which brought the university under the spotlight. It’s been years since Bath teams started cooperating with Bath City FC, which gave them an opportunity to easily transfer student players to the higher league. Local administration promotes a healthy lifestyle for the local population; thus, not only students are encouraged to advance their professional skills, but also the seniors and children. There’s much attention dedicated to the female players. Watch more news about women in football from the BBC news.
St Mary’s University
St. Mary’s University is proud of its women’s futsal teams taking the leading positions amongst the competitors in the South-Eastern Region. The local FC also has teams for males, both football and futsal. What is interesting, they welcome players regardless of their talent – there are multiple teams of all levels. At the same time, St. Mary’s makes a strong emphasis on the healthy social environment, considering it a valuable factor in players’ motivation. Read an article about football players’ participation here.
Northumbria University
Northumbria owns 3 men and 3 women BUCS football teams with the same female players representing futsal teams as well. Last year, they took 6 championships, which became a local record. Again, the social aspect is crucially important for Northumbria. Therefore, there are multiple University cups held annually with players of all the levels being involved.
There are many factors to consider when choosing a suitable university for football – it all depends on the skills you’d like to acquire. Don’t limit yourself in career choices – the football industry keeps growing, which implies specialists in many fields being in demand. Even though you might be aimed at becoming a football manager, it’s better to start improving your football network as early as you can.
