Football Club Management ─ Insights from the Field

The rapid global growth of the sport industry has prompted the need for a more commercial approach to the management of sport clubs. This book is the first study of its kind to focus on the management of professional football clubs, providing a real-world insight into management principles and their practical application.

The international commercialisation of football has led to a fundamental transformation of the industry’s management practices, given the financial rewards of success and the high price of failure. This book presents a critical examination of this transformation, questioning why clubs are increasingly adopting management strategies from other industries. Each chapter analyses the role played by a key leadership figure within a club, such as the owner, CEO, CFO, COO, director and head coach. Full of exclusive interviews, case studies and examples of best practice, this book sheds new light the challenges of working in this extraordinarily high-pressure environment.

Football Club Management: Insights from the Field is fascinating reading for all those working in or studying the management, marketing or administration of football.

Ian Lawrence is a Senior Lecturer in Sports Management at Teesside University, UK, where he runs the BA Hons Sports Management and Marketing degree programme. Ian has strong links to elite level football both in the UK and US. Currently, he leads on a number of research projects which explore the challenges faced by senior leaders and executives within the professional game. He is an Associate Member of the Centre for the Study of Football at Manchester Metropolitan University, UK, and serves on the Editorial Board for the Journal of Research Initiatives