24th May 2019

College partners local club to provide top class education for aspiring footballers

The City of Liverpool College has partnered with a local football club to offer aspiring recruits the chance of a first class education.

Northern Premier League club Marine FC is working with the College to create a new BA degree in Football Studies that will provide real opportunities for aspiring footballers to progress in the industry whilst gaining a top-class qualification.

As part of the course, Marine Football Club will create an Under 23s team, which will play in both the competitive West Cheshire League and the university league setup. Students will have the opportunity to train regularly and play competitive football supported by a UEFA qualified coach, whilst also studying for a degree at the college.

This brand-new course is the first of its kind in Liverpool City Region and aims to provide a rounded footballing education covering topics such as performance analysis, sport psychology, coaching, physiotherapy, nutrition and club management, all of which will be studied in a professional environment.  It will also combine theoretical study with practical sessions, also providing the opportunity for the team to train and play at the Marine Travel Arena, home of Marine FC.

Not only focused on players, the course will also provide opportunities for learners to specialise in non-playing areas which Marine FC CEO, James Leary has identified as talent gaps in the industry, such as physiotherapy and sports nutrition.

Elaine Bowker, principal of The City of Liverpool College, said: “We’re passionate about providing our learners with the skills they need to succeed in the world of work and, as shown with our E-Sports course launched last year, we aren’t afraid to create entirely new programmes and qualifications to fill the skills gap and provide these opportunities which are otherwise incredibly hard to come by.

“We know that not everything can be learnt in the classroom, which is why partnering with a club like Marine FC is incredibly important to ensure that our students are provided with the real-world, practical experience which will help drive their careers forward.”

To launch the new course, The City of Liverpool College and Marine FC are hosting a trial event at Liverpool’s Jeffrey Humble sports ground on Thursday 6th June from 7pm, where they will be inviting anyone who is interested in finding out more to come along, regardless of ability.