The New Business of Football: A Study of Current and Aspirant Football Club Managers

Abstract

Abstract:Few professionals perform their jobs in an environment as public, as pressurised, as shorttermist and as unforgiving of mistakes, as that which exists for football club managers.

Learning to be a professional football manager: a Bourdieusian perspective

“…The traditional route by which an individual becomes a manager in European football has emphasised two elements: first, the expectation of previous playing experience (renown as a player): and second, the importance of learning by doing (Bridgewater, 2010;Carter, 2006;Kelly, 2008;Wilders, 1976). Renown as a player has been accepted by many directors and club ownerskey gatekeepers in managerial careersas indicative of management ability and thus suggests a form of symbolic capital, recognised by key actors in the field and by the rules of the field as legitimate, valid, and useful (Iellatchitch, Mayrhofer & Meyer, 2003;Morrow & Howieson, 2014) 5 . Blackett et al (2017) found that fast tracked appointments in football and rugby were often based upon directors' perceptions as to whether appointments would gain and maintain their players' respect.…”

“…The football manager (hereafter 'the manager') remains a pivotal figure in almost all British football clubs 1 . Ultimately, the manager's principal objective and one which he/she continues to be solely accountable for remains as it always has beenwinning football matches in a competitive environment in which there will always be many more losers than winners and in which their performance is publicly and continuously scrutinised (Morrow & Howieson, 2014). As a result football management is a highly risky career.…”

“…One feature of this period was the expansion of coaching schemes, initiated originally by the Football Association during the 1930s, these being designed in a loose way to assist directors with their managerial selection (Carter, 2006). Central to that selection process was a taken for granted acceptance that career progression to becoming a manager was predicated on an individual's prior expertise and status as a professional football player (Blackett, Evans & Piggott, 2017;Kelly, 2008;Morrow & Howieson, 2014). Interestingly, a number of studies have stressed, however, that experience is not limited to that arising from playing the game.…”

Coaches as sport workers: professional agency within the employment context of elite European basketball

“…Akin to many other forms of employment, coach's work and working conditions can also be marked by turbulence, uncertainty and change, and as such, a coach must negotiate the realities of their daily occupations in conjunction with their longer-term career aspirations. While a coach's work may be considered integral to the management and sustainability of the 'business' of the sport, they are not unlike other sorts of sports workers whose day-to-day professions are also shaped by their personal career histories, emotional affiliations to the profession, sociocultural contexts, immediate social interactions, and future employment trajectories (Morrow & Howieson, 2014). Accordingly, the particular context in which coaches operate (in this case, the professional European basketball setting) affords a useful space to better understand the sport industry and coaching profession and the socio-cultural, political and economic constraints that influence individuals' career choices.…”

Return on Investment in Sports Marketing Initiatives: A Study Focusing on a Brazilian Soccer Team

“…According to Morrow and Howieson (2014) "the business transformation of football and its clubs over the past 2 decades or so has implications for managers". The authors argue that managers have inadequate preparedness to deal with nonfootball matters, as financial, budgeting, club politics and management in general.…”