The business of football

If you are fascinated by men's and women's football and interested in discovering more about business and management then this engaging and stimulating free course is for you.

In the following video Eleanor Oldroyd from BBC Radio 5 Live explains a little more about the topics you’ll examine.

During this interactive course you investigate three main themes. First is the nature of the football business. You'll look at clubs, particularly those beyond the Premier League, exploring how their business model might differ from other industries. You draw on academic perspectives and interviews with those working in football at both a traditional club, Chesterfield, and a newer one, MK Dons, to consider different income streams and clubs' internal and external decision making environments.

The second theme focuses on employees' motivation at work and the dynamics of working in a team. Interviews with professional footballers and club employees are used to illustrate some of the complexities that the research reveals. You will consider how to nurture an effective motivational and team climate.

The final theme is globalisation and power relationships in football and in business. You will examine the commercial and global expansion of the game and how different dimensions of power are used in football and other businesses.

If you have enjoyed this course and are interested in studying further with us find out more about this and other programmes within the OU. You might be particularly interested in our BSc (hons) Sport, Fitness and Coaching.

Course learning outcomes

After studying this course, you should be able to:

• begin to understand the business of football and the internal and external business environment of football clubs
• identify factors most likely to motivate people to succeed in their work in different parts of the football business including leaders and managers influence on the working environment
• describe what makes teams more likely to succeed and how individuals can develop into more effective teams
• reflect on the meaning of globalisation and how this relates to the business of football
• identify how dimensions of power relate to football.