Boutique university to expand at new sites in Manchester and Salford
University Campus of Football Business (UCFB) and its Global Institute of Sport (GIS) are expanding to a new campus on the doorstep of fellow education disruptor UA92.
Backed by property entrepreneur Brendan Flood, UCFB is progressing with the £16m expansion of their Manchester campus after securing planning approval for new academic centres at new sites across the city.
The expansion will enable UCFB to grow to 2,500 students studying in Manchester by 2027, nurturing and developing the next generation of young talent for the football and wider sports industry.
Flood said: “This £16million investment will transform the UCFB and GIS offer in Manchester, enabling the development of the next generation of talent for the rapidly growing football and sports industry in the region.”
He added: “With BBC, ITV, Dock10 and key business quarters on our doorstep, along with access to iconic stadiums, new high-quality, dedicated academic centres fostering new communities of practice will benefit our students greatly without disruption to their learning.”
UCFB started at Burnley FC’s Turf Moor ground in 2011 when Flood owned the club. Initially degrees were accredited by New Bucks University, but both UCFB and GIS are officially colleges of East London University.
It relocated to Manchester in 2016, with bases at the Etihad Stadium and Piccadilly Plaza, next to Piccadilly train station.
The university also has facilities at Belle Vue Sports Village and Curzon Ashton FC which host Sports Performance and Football Coaching Students.
Both UCFB and its postgraduate research centre GIS now have affiliations London, Miami, Melbourne, Toronto and now continued developments at its national campus in Manchester.
Planning approval granted in June from Salford Council for a new academic centre at Exchange Quay in Salford, which will allow the creation of a new Football and Sports Business centre, as well as planning approval granted in February for a mulitmedia centre at Quay Plaza, MediaCity, right next to Salford University’s media campus.
Both will be home to Football and Sports Media and Communications students and will be open for a new student intake in September.
A further planning application has been submitted for a change of use for the ground floor unit at No1 Old Trafford facing the Wharfside Metrolink station and a stone’s throw from Manchester United FC’s Old Trafford stadium. The plans include the development of a 60-seater seminar room together with state of the art, specialist media broadcast studios.
